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ANNEX 


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©ur  Hottest  tfrfenb 
Iborse 


Our  Noblest  Friend 
The  Horse 


BY 

FRANCIS     M.    WARE 

Author  of  "  Some  First-hand  Bits 
of  Stable  Lore  " 


Illustrated 


A  horse  should  be  treated  like  a  gentleman  " 

LELAND  STANFORD 


BOSTON      < 
L.   C.    PAGE   &    COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 


Copyright, 
BY  L.  C.  PAGE  &  COMPANY 

(INCORPORATED) 


All  rights  reserved 


Fourth   Impression,  September,   1906 


Colonial 

Electrotyped  and  Printed  by  C.  H.  Slmonds  &  Co. 
Boston.  Mass.,  U.  S.  A. 


Contents 


part  H.  —  Dorse  mature 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.     MENTAL  LIMITATIONS  OF  HORSES    .        .        .11 

II.     FAITHFULNESS,  MEMORY,  LOVE  OF  HOME       .  22 

III.    AFFECTION  FOR  ANIMALS,  NOT  FOR  MAN       .  32 

part  VS.  —  Dorse  BDucation 

I.    EDUCATION  OF  COLTS 45 

II.    EQUINE  EDUCATION 62 

III.  VICE  AND  ITS  CORRECTION       .        .        .        .77 

IV.  TRICKS,  ETC.,  TAUGHT  BY  KINDNESS       .        .  90 

part  f  f f .  —  Cboosfns  anD  TUsfng  Dorses 

I.    HORSE  BUYING  AND  HORSE  TRYING        .        .  105 

II.     DRIVING I24 

III.  RIDING  FOR  WOMEN  AND  CHILDREN        .        .  134 

IV.  THE    FAMILY    HORSE    AND   THE    CHILDREN'S 

PONY 151 

V.  THE  ROADSTER 163 

VI.     A  PLEA  FOR  THE  PONY 176 

VII.     DRIVING  TOURS         .                        ...  187 

v 


2076432 


vi  Contents 

part  fit).  —  Gbe  proper  treatment  of  f>orse0 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.     FAD  AND  FASHION.     THE  DOCKING  AND  MU- 
TILATING OF  HORSES 201 

II.    SENSE  AND  SENTIMENT      .        .        .        .        .215 

III.     OUR  OBLIGATIONS  TO  OUR  DUMB  DEPENDENTS  223 

IV.    HOMES  FOR  HORSES 234 

part  It).  —  Dealtb  ano  Comfort 

I.     FOOD,  GROOMING,  WATER,  CLIPPING,  ETC.      .  247 

II.    SHOEING  AND  THE  FEET 269 

III.  THE  HORSE'S  CLOTHES 281 

IV.  PREVENTABLE  HARDSHIPS  DUE  TO  OUR  CLI- 

MATE AND  ENVIRONMENTS    ....  295 

V.    THE  HORSE  AT  PASTURE 3°3 

VI.    THE  HORSE  IN  SICKNESS 311 

part  M.-Cbe  Stable 
I.     STABLING    ARRANGEMENTS    APPROPRIATE    TO 

AMERICAN  CLIMATE 333 

II.    STABLE  CONVENIENCES 344 

III.  CARE  OF  VEHICLES  AND  HORSES     .        .        .  352 

IV.  OUTFIT  FOR  ONE  HORSE 357 

V.    KEEPING  ONE  HORSE 363 


Xfst  of  Illustrations 


PAGE 

Correct  in  Every  Particular  .....  Frontispiece 

Ready  for  Anything.  Original  drawing  by  Frank  Whitney  .  18 

A  Well-Matched  Pair.  Original  drawing  by  Frank  Whitney  .  28 
Chums,  i.  Paleface  with  her  dog  friend.  —  2.  Paleface  with 

her  parrot  and  kitten  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  '  38 

Halter-Breaking  a  Colt 47 

Three  Well-Behaved  Pupils 55 

The  Proper  Way  to  Throw  a  Horse 58 

Cross  Country.  President  Theodore  Roosevelt  taking  a 

three-rail  fence 72 

Two  Peerless  Animals.  i.  Boralma,  the  great  trotter.  —  2. 

Dare  Devil,  the  great  stallion.     Both  owned  by  Thomas 

W.  Lawson 78 

i .  War-Bridle.  —  2.  Trip-Line 82 

The  Kentucky  Kicking-Strap 85 

The  Best  Way  to  Fasten  a  Halter-Breaker  .  .  .  .88 
Two  Popular  Tricks,  i.  Shaking  hands. —  2.  Walking  on 

two  feet 94 

On  the  Way  to  Market 106 

i.  Nearly  a  Pair.  —  2.  A  Perfect  Pair.  Original  drawings  by 

Frank  Whitney no 

Likely  to  Suit.  Mr.  J.  H.  Shultz,  driving  Colonel  Direct  .  120 
A  Perfect  Little  Horsewoman.  Miss  Marion  Hollins,  riding 

astride 136 


List  of  Illustrations 

PAGE 

A  Model  Lady's  Hack.     Miss  Belle  Beach  on  Ace  of  Spades, 

owned  by  Mr.  Harry  T.  Peters 140 

Two  Model  Saddle-Horses.  I.  Julep,  ridden  by  Mrs.  James 
L.  Kernochan.  —  2.  Glorious  Radie,  owned  by  Thomas 
W.  Lawson 148 

Pony   Outfits,     i.   Alone   in   his   glory.  —  2.   The   more   the 

merrier 158 

Perfect   Style   and   Action,     i.   Glorious   Black   Venus.  —  2. 

Glorious  Bonnie.     Both  owned  by  Thomas  W.  Lawson     163 

A  "Big  Little  One."     Rags,  owned  by  Mr.  Howard  Willet      .  177 
Two  Sporty  Ponies,     i.  Bo- Peep,  owned  by  R.  F.  Carman. — 

2.  Doncaster  Model,  driven  by  Mrs.  John  Gerken     .        .  182 

Off  for  the  Afternoon 191 

A  Good  Outfit  for  a  Driving  Tour.     Mr.  Alfred  G.  Vanderbilt 

driving  depot  wagon 192 

Ready  for  the  Journey,     i.  Mr.  R.  C.  Vanderbilt.  —  2.  Mr. 

Howard  Willet 196 

Polo  Ponies.     Judging  the  Polo  Class,  at  Bay  Shore  Horse 

Show 207 

Prize- Winning  Pairs.     Courtesy  of  the  owner,  Mr.  Eben   D. 

Jordan 212 

Low  Brilliant,  a  Winner  of  450  Prizes 224 

Horses'  Homes 236 

Past  Their  Prime,    i.  Three  old  pensioners  at  a  horses'  home. 

—  2.  Still  in  service 242 

Up  to  Four  Miles  or  Forty.     Waubun,  ridden  by  Mr.  John 

Gerken 248 

Heatherbloom's  Great  Jump.     8  feet,  3%  inches      .        .         .     268 

A  Prize-Winning  Four.     Courtesy  of  the  owner,  Mr.  Eben  D. 

Jordan 280 

A  Glorious  Quartette.  Owned  by  Thomas  W.  Lawson.  I. 
Glorious  Red  Cloud  and  Glorious  Thunder  Cloud.  —  2. 
Glorious  Whirling  Cloud  and  Glorious  Flying  Cloud  .  294 


List  of  Illustrations 

PAGE 

Two  Jumpers,  i.  Jumping  at  the  Bay  Shore  Horse  Show.  — 
2.  Heatherbloom  jumping  7  feet,  2  inches  at  the  Atlantic 
City  Horse  Show 302 

A  High-Stepping  Tandem.     Courtesy  of  the  owner,  Mr.  Eben 

D.  Jordan 310 

A  Model  Stable ;  Neat  and  Unpretentious        ....     334 

The  Extreme  of  Luxury  and  Comfort.     Two  views  of  Mr. 

Thomas  W.  Lawson's  celebrated  show  barn      .         .        .     344 

The  Best  in  Their  Class.     Courtesy  of  Mr.  Eben  D.  Jordan    .     356 


part  1* 
t>or0e  "Nature 


<S>ur  IKloblest  iftienb 
ZTbe  Ifeorse 


part  U. 
Iborse  IRature 

CHAPTER    I. 
Mental  Limitations  of  Horses 

IT  is  due  to  the  romancing  of  the  inexperienced 
and  impractical  that  we  too  often  would  attrib- 
ute to  the  horse  mental  qualities  which  he  does 
not  possess,  and  mistakenly  endow1  him  with  an 
intelligence  which,  could  he  even  approximate, 
would  not  improbably  render  him  useless  for  the 
purposes  at  which  we  are  accustomed  to  employ  him. 

ii 


12     Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

This  extreme  sagacity  has  been  denied  him  by 
nature,  and,  through  its  absence,  we  are  enabled  to 
hoodwink  him  as  to  our  intentions,  our  means  of 
restraint  (so  totally  inadequate  did  he  but  realise 
it),  etc.,  and  to  compel  him  to  render  to  us  a  service 
which  (as  cannot  too  often  be  repeated)  he  does 
not  f(  delight  to  render"  as  sentimentalists  and 
theorists  would  have  the  world  believe.  Any  labour 
that  is  performed  for  mankind  by  the  horse  is 
done  solely  and  simply  because  he  has  been 
educated  through  constant  and  exhaustive  rehearsal 
to  yield  obedience  to  our  demands,  and  because  his 
attempts  at  resistance  have  been,  from  the  very  be- 
ginning, regularly  and  completely  brought  to  nought. 
Man  has  so  invariably  proved  the  master  in  every 
argument,  the  victor  in  every  dispute,  that  his  sov- 
ereign rule  is  conceded  —  and  once  this  idea  is  firmly 
implanted  in  the  animal's  mind,  all  revolt  is  ended; 
he  yields  to  his  handler  any  performance  within  his 
powers  —  not  glorying  in  duty  done,  but  refraining 
from  fruitless  rebellion. 

This  statement  is  so  absolutely  true  that  it  is 


Mental  Limitations  of  Horses        13 

only  necessary  to  let  an  animal  once  get  the  idea 
that  he  need  not  perform  some  task,  to  find  that, 
either  regularly  or  occasionally,  he  will  ever  after 
attempt  to  shirk  the  matter.  This  evasion  may  con- 
sist of  any  resistance,  balking  being  the  most  com- 
mon form,  or  refusing  to  turn  one  way  or  the  other, 
or  turning  round  to  go  home,  etc.  Its  form  does  not 
matter;  it  is  the  rebellious  act  that  is  significant. 

The  accepting  of  individual  qualities  and  perform- 
ances as  characteristic  of  the  equine  race  in  the 
abstract  has  been  the  cause,  to  those  who  keep  and 
use  horses,  of  many  fatal  mistakes  and  much  trouble, 
and  in  these  pages  the  general  qualities  of  the  average 
horse  are  the  only  ones  considered. 

The  reader  must  be  asked  to  accept  —  or  to  inves- 
tigate, at  least  —  several  statements  as  to  the  horse's 
limitations  which  will  not  improbably  at  first  meet 
condemnation.  These  are,  first,  that  the  horse  is  a 
fool;  second,  that  he  is  a  coward;  and  third,  that, 
like  most  cowards,  he  is  a  bully.  It  is  through  no 
faults  of  his  own  making  that  the  animal  is  thus  to  be 
classified,  but  because  nature  has  thus  beneficently 


14    Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

arranged  matters  in  order  to  facilitate  his  subjuga- 
tion and  subsequent  utility  for  human  usages.  His 
foolishness  renders  him  easy  to  deceive ;  his  timidity 
makes  him  quickly  submissive,  unwilling  to  resist 
once  he  believes  it  useless ;  and  his  propensity  to  be 
a  bully  is  evidenced  from  the  fact  that  as  a  youngster 
(and  frequently  in  later  life),  he  is  continually  trying 
to  find  out  just  how  far  he  will  be  allowed  to  rebel, 
and  will,  if  unchecked,  overstep  the  bounds  continu- 
ally, each  time  more  defiantly,  until  possible  dis- 
aster follows. 

As  equine  folly  and  timidity  afford  the  prime 
factors  whereby  the  creatures  may  be  easily  subju- 
gated and  employed,  and  provide  thereby  a  safeguard 
for  us,  so  these  characteristics  contain  their  danger- 
ous elements.  The  "  fool "  part  of  the  creature's 
nature  will,  at  times,  be  so  augmented  by  the  cow- 
ardly, that  headlong  panic  is  the  result,  and  frightful 
accidents  ensue.  It  is  true  that  these  panics  are  as 
frequently  the  outcome  of  past  as  of  present  happen- 
ings, but  results  are  none  the  less  unpleasant.  An 
animal  may  have  been  injured  by  this  or  frightened 


Mental  Limitations  of  Horses       15 

by  that,  and  the  reappearance  of  the  object  or  the 
recurrence  of  the  incident  is  doubly  horrifying  be- 
cause of  the  painful  associations.  The  panic  which 
follows  is  almost  insanity;  the  results  are  fre- 
quently of  the  most  serious  nature. 

The  horse's  mind  can  receive  and  digest  but  one 
impression  at  a  time;  and  this  again  is  a  blessing 
to  us  in  many  cases,  a  calamity  in  others.  It  helps 
us  because,  for  example,  the  one  idea  that  resistance 
is  useless  becomes  paramount  to  anything  else,  and 
we  may  carry  his  education  to  extended  lengths,  if 
we  are  willing  thoroughly  to  accept  and  to  act  upon 
this  unalterable  fact.  What  makes  a  horse  break 
loose  from  the  kindly  hands  which  have  led  him 
from  his  blazing  stable,  dash  back  to  it,  and  into  his 
own  stall  through  flames  and  smoke,  and  there  stand 
and  die,  resisting  all  efforts  to  remove  him?  It  is 
because  he  is  foolish;  timid,  therefore  panic- 
stricken;  and  being  thus,  he  clings  to  the  one  idea 
that  the  familiar  stall,  which  has  always  before  shel- 
tered him  from  harm,  must  be  his  only  sanctuary 
now.  Safety  is  there  or  nowhere  —  and  to  it  he 


1 6    Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

returns,  through  flames,  over  tottering  floors,  and 
under  trembling  walls ;  and  there  he  expires  — 
firmly  convinced  that  there  is  no  hope,  no  shelter 
but  this. 

It  is  for  the  very  same  reason  that,  if  a  horse  is 
blindfolded,  he  may  be  led  from  a  burning  building. 
The  loss  of  vision  changes  his  one  idea  —  and  he 
becomes  occupied  with  another.  The  writer  got  a 
horse  from  a  flaming  stable,  after  repeated  and  vain 
efforts  to  move  him  had  been  made,  by  simply  tying 
up  a  leg,  and  forcing  him  to  hop  along  on  three. 
He  came  at  once,  and  so  he  would  have  done  had 
any  one  of  dozens  of  other  means  been  used  to 
change  the  current  of  his  thought. 

It  is  thus  with  the  balky  animal,  the  one  who 
shies  —  if  we  will  but  distract  his  attention  from  the 
one  idea  upon  which  his  mind  is  concentrated,  forth- 
with we  may  do  with  him  as  we  will.  Some  of  these 
measures  may  be  painful  or  uncomfortable,  but  need 
never  be  brutal  or  abusive.  The  original  idea  com- 
pels resistance,  but  another  cunningly  substituted 
becomes  in  turn  overpowering,  and  the  animal  is 


Mental  Limitations  of  Horses       17 

as  thoroughly  subjective  to  it  as  to  the  one  whose 
place  it  takes. 

The  horse's  memory  is  most  retentive ;  his  homing 
instinct  is  as  true  as  a  carrier-pigeon's.  He  will 
remember  a  voice  —  yet  never  recognise  the  speaker 
either  by  sight,  smell,  or  touch,  until  the  familiar 
tones  are  heard.  Words  are  to  him  of  no  import; 
he  obeys  only  those  associated  with  certain  gestures 
or  subsequent  effects  —  as  the  cut  of  a  whip,  etc. 
He  rarely  forgets  a  locality,  or  its  devious  ways  of 
approach,  even  although  years  have  passed  since  he 
last  visited  it.  It  is  this  memory  which  enables  us  to 
teach  him  tricks,  to  use  him  for  our  various  purposes 
etc.,  and  this  same  power  of  recollection  proves  an 
undesirable  faculty  in  that  it  does  not  allow  him  to 
forget  past  accidents,  successful  resistance,  etc.  In 
fact,  the  horse's  memory  it  is  which  should  render 
us  doubly  careful,  in  all  our  relations  with  him, 
always  to  retain  the  upper  hand;  for  he  never 
forgets  the  one  time  that  he  got  the  best  of  you, 
and  the  very  rarity  of  the  occurrence  serves  but  to 
make  the  impression  the  more  vivid. 


1 8     Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

A  horse  is  not  generous.  True,  he  will  go  until 
he  drops  in  many  instances,  but  that  does  not  prove 
generosity,  but  rather  that  he  has  been  punished  if 
he  paused,  and  the  one  idea  associated  with  progress 
in  harness  and  under  saddle  is  to  go  on  and  on,  until 
the  biped  in  charge  signals  that  enough  has  been 
done.  One  hardly  calls  the  cow  generous  because 
she  "  gives  down  "  her  milk  —  it  affords  her  relief 
to  do  so  —  and  in  the  same  way,  the  horse  hurries  on 
to  the  shelter,  the  care,  and  the  food,  which  past 
experience  has  proved  always  await  him  at  the 
journey's  end;  and  in  this  anticipation  he  struggles 
along,  goaded  further,  when  exhaustion  intervenes, 
by  fear  of  punishment  if  he  stops.  The  unbroken  colt 
or  the  untamed  horse  does  not  possess  this  "  gener- 
osity "  for  the  reasons  that  no  past  lessons  of  reward 
or  punishment  stimulate  and  urge  him  on.  If  in 
company  with  other  horses,  he  will  proceed  as  long 
as  strength  allows  —  his  gregarious  nature  and  his 
previous  association  with  his  kind  ensure  that;  but 
brief  indeed  will  be  his  progress  once  all  such  incen- 
tives are  missing,  and  vain  will  be  any  efforts  to 


z    !> 

§  -s 

5-     2 


Mental  Limitations  of  Horses        19 

force  him  to  continue  after  he  is  thoroughly  fatigued. 
"  Generosity  "  has  nothing  to  do  with  the  matter, 
and  is  but  another  of  the  fallacies  which  so  much 
endanger  our  relations  with  the  horse  who  has  us 
and  our  loved  ones  so  frequently,  and  so  completely, 
at  his  mercy. 

The  reader  may  conclude  that  an  effort  is  making 
to  depict  the  horse  as  a  sort  of  fiend  incarnate,  with 
no  desirable  or  reasonable  attribute  whatever,  but 
this  is  far  from  the  case.  It  is  simply  intended  that 
the  public  shall  realise  that  those  old  "  ghost  stories  " 
of  this  and  that  wonderful  display  of  intelligence 
and  foresight  upon  the  part  of  the  equine  race  are 
the  merest  fables,  or  explainable  logically  upon  to- 
tally different  grounds  from  those  usually  set  forth. 
These  yarns  have  been  told  and  retold  so  many  times 
and  with  so  much  elaboration,  that  they  have  become 
accepted  as  true  and  genuine  incidents  of  experience 
with  the  animals.  It  is  not  fair  to  the  horse  to  expect 
these  developments ;  it  is  dangerous  in  the  last  degree 
to  the  person  who  absorbs  them  as  gospel  truths. 
An  active  experience  covering  over  thirty  years 


2O    Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

with  every  variety  of  the  horse  and  for  every  pur- 
pose, not  in  scattering  instances,  but  in  quantities 
often  amounting  to  hundreds,  has  afforded  oppor- 
tunity to  the  writer  for  unlimited  investigation  and 
experiment  —  and  the  results  are  as  herein  set  forth, 
the  reasons  are  as  here  narrated. 

Competently  to  handle  any  animal  we  must  under- 
stand its  mental  and  physical  limitations.  The  rattle- 
snake is  harmless  if  grasped  in  a  certain  fashion  and 
handled  in  a  certain  way ;  it  will  wave  about  to  cer- 
tain music,  but  it  will  neither  give  milk  like  a  cow, 
nor  pull  a  load  like  a  horse.  The  seal  learns  to  beat 
drums,  etc.,  but  can  never  climb  a  tree,  nor  stand  on 
its  head  like  a  monkey.  His  peculiar  limitations 
environ  the  horse  likewise,  and  he  must  be  asked  to 
do  only  what  he  can  accomplish,  in  the  way  he  can 
perform  it.  His  predominating  characteristics  are 
foolishness,  timidity,  bullying  propensity,  a  one- 
ideaed  mind,  a  strong  memory,  ignorance  of  words, 
understanding  of  sounds,  more  easily  if  associated 
with  gestures,  keen  hearing,  sharp  sight,  etc. ;  and  as 
these  are  the  possessions  of  all  horses,  —  in  however 


Mental  Limitations  of  Horses       21 

varying  degree,  —  our  relations  with  them  must,  to 
be  satisfactory,  proceed  along  the  lines  indicated; 
accepting  these  peculiarities  as  unalterable,  and 
therefore  to  be  handled  to  the  best  advantage  in  the 
securing  of  satisfactory  results. 


CHAPTER   II. 
Faithfulness,  Memory,  Love  of  Home 

TO  concede  that  the  horse  possesses  faithful- 
ness —  in  the  ordinary  acceptation  of  the 
word  —  as  a  conspicuous  trait  is  to  attribute  to 
him  another  quality  of  wlhich  he  is  not  capable. 
Faithfulness  is  defined  as  "  loyalty,"  "  sincerity,"  and 
these  virtues  the  animal  does  not  exhibit,  although 
the  ungenerous  motives  of  desire  for  food  and  shelter 
will  produce  results  seemingly  typical  of  such 
nobility  of  purpose  and  action.  Of  the  quality  of 
devotion  evidenced  by  the  dog,  for  instance,  the 
horse  shows  not  one  particle;  nor  can  he  attain 
the  eminence  of  the  canine  in  this  respect,  because 
his  characteristics  are  dissimilar,  even  did  his  oppor- 
tunities allow;  because  any  such  latent  inclination 
has  not  been  developed,  as  with  the  canine,  through 
generations  of  association  with  man ;  and  because  he 

22 


Faithfulness,  Memory,  Love  of  Home     23 

is  too  dominated  by  fear  and  foolishness  to  make  his 
loyalty  or  faithfulness  always  possible  under  vary- 
ing circumstances.  Do  not  be  deceived  by  what  you 
may  hear  or  read  about  this  characteristic,  and  dis- 
abuse your  mind  of  the  idea  that  the  horse  possesses 
it;  that  he  is  true  to  his  master;  that  he  loves  to 
work  for  him;  and  that  he  performs  his  tasks 
through  "  faithfulness,"  etc.  It  is  a  lovely  theory 
and  a  beautiful  romance,  "  rolling  trippingly  "  from 
the  lips  of  humanitarians  who  probably  believe  it, 
but  there  lurk  behind  the  lamentable  facts  that  it 
is  neither  true  nor  possible. 

Faithfulness  implies  loyalty  to  individual  and  to 
occupation.  The  horse  is  true  to  neither.  Person- 
ally you  —  all  human  beings  —  are  distasteful  to  him 
—  your  very  scent  is  unpleasant.  In  so  far  as  he 
finds  you  a  medium  to  provide  care  and  shelter,  he 
tolerates  you,  but  you  never  reach  a  higher  point 
in  his  affections  than  that  of  acceptance  as  a  neces- 
sary evil ;  a  member  of  the  race  of  bipeds  which  has 
always  (or  generally)  compelled  obedience  and 
frustrated  all  efforts  at  rebellion.  As  his  master  he 


24    Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

accepts  you,  and  "  faithfully  "  does  his  work,  be- 
cause he  has  always  been  made  to  do  it,  and  is  imbued 
with  the  one  idea  that  he  cannot  help  himself. 

Were  he  genuinely  "  faithful,"  he  would  betray 
the  characteristic  in  various  ways.  He  would  not 
leave  you  when  loose;  he  would  love  to  follow  you 
about;  he  would  so  enjoy  your  companionship  and 
so  relish  working  for  you  as  to  prove  impossible  of 
restraint  from  either  sitting  in  your  lap,  or  harness- 
ing himself  to  the  carriage  and  insisting  upon  taking 
you  to  drive,  whether  you  wanted  to  go  or  not !  In 
short,  he  would  prove  an  unmitigated  nuisance.  The 
Power  which  provided  him  for  man's  purposes  ar- 
ranged his  failings  (and  his  merits)  exactly  to 
meet  the  requirements  demanded,  and  as  he  stands  he 
is  as  nearly  "  faithful "  as  we  should  care  to  have 
him. 

True,  he  comes  at  your  call  from  the  field  (that 
is,  sometimes  he  does,  if  he  has  nothing  better  to 
do),  but  do  not  flatter  yourself  that  faithfulness  or 
affection  impel!  Not  at  all  —  either  you  or  some 
one  else  has  been  in  the  habit,  when  he  obeyed,  of 


Faithfulness,  Memory,  Love  of  Home     25 

rewarding  him  with  food  and  dainties.  If  you  think 
otherwise,  and  have  the  courage  of  your  convictions, 
turn  him  loose  on  the  streets,  or  call  him  from  the 
pasture,  and  if  you  (or  any  one)  have  never  re- 
warded him  for  obeying  (or  appetite  does  not  just 
then  press),  he  will  pay  not  the  least  attention  to 
you. 

He  waits  "  faithfully  "  for  you  at  the  door,  be- 
cause you,  or  some  other,  have  impressed  it  on  his 
one-ideaed  mind  that  he  must  not  move  until  he  is 
told.  He  stands  by  you  when  you  tumble  off,  be- 
cause he  has  been  trained  so  to  do,  or  because  he  is 
not  alarmed  sufficiently  to  seek  refuge  in  flight ;  but 
if  you  imagine  that  he  will  wait  around  for  you 
all  day  as  your  dog  will,  because  he  loves  you,  try  it 
and  see  —  you'll  enjoy  a  pleasant  walk  home! 

He  "  faithfully  "  pulls  his  load  along  the  thorough- 
fares, not  because  he  enjoys  labouring  in  the  interest 
of  man,  but  because  he  dare  not  do  otherwise.  Do 
not  despise  him  for,  nor  be  disappointed  in,  his  short- 
comings (  ?)  ;  rather  love  and  cherish  him  the  more 
on  their  account. 


26    Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

The  wildest  cow-pony,  hardly  saddle-or-bridle- 
wise,  will  wait  for  hours  at  any  point  where  he  may 
be  left,  providing  only  that  the  bridle-rein  is  thrown 
over  his  head.  The  enthusiast  is  much  impressed 
at  the  sight  of  this  "  faithful  "  creature  waiting  for 
his  master,  but  does  not  know  that  the  first  thing  a 
broncho  is  taught,  as  vitally  important,  is  to  stand 
and  to  wait  anywhere,  with  but  the  horizon  as  a 
boundary;  and  that  this  obligation  is  impressed 
upon  him  by  turning  him  loose  in  the  corral  with 
a  sharp  curb-bit  in  his  mouth,  and  with  its  reins 
trailing  on  the  ground.  By  the  time  he  has  stepped 
upon  them  a  few  times,  as  he  wanders  about,  and 
nearly  broken  his  jaw  in  consequence,  he  learns  that 
trailing  reins  are  a  signal  to  stand  still,  and  that  only 
lack  of  motion  ensures  freedom  from  acute  agony. 
Pull  the  bridle  off,  and  you  can't  get  near  enough 
to  "  rope  "  him,  unless  in  a  pen,  or  when  riding  a 
horse  fast  enough  to  run  him  down.  The  mustang 
hates  man,  who  in  his  experiences  has  proved  himself 
a  merciless  brute;  yet,  if  bridled  thus,  the  creature 


Faithfulness,  Memory,  Love  of  Home    27 

will   wait    "  faithfully "   his   master's   coming   for 
hours  or  for  days. 

The  "  bump  of  locality,"  the  homing  instinct,  and 
the  love  of  home  are  wonderfully  developed,  and 
these  possessions  are,  of  course,  a  part  of  his  pre- 
dominating trait,  —  memory,  —  as  is  his  acceptance 
and  retention  of  one  idea  at  a  time.  The  unfortunate 
part  of  it  all  is  that  these  faculties  render  horses 
acute  sufferers  from  homesickness,  which  perhaps 
may  be  construed  roughly  as  morbid  recollection. 
No  animal  suffers  more  severely  than  he;  none 
is  more  faithful  to  the  accustomed  stall,  the  familiar 
yard ;  none  is  so  little  considered  and  consoled  in  this 
respect.  The  dog  also  suffers  intensely,  but  he 
Can  be  comforted  by  the  incessant  human  companion- 
ship and  affection,  which  do  not  appeal  so  intimately 
to  the  horse.  That  poor  creature  must  pine  in  silence, 
heartbroken  and  inconsolable,  until  time,  "  the  uni- 
versal healer,"  shall  have  assuaged  the  pain  and 
dimmed  the  recollection.  Let  years  elapse,  however, 
and  if  returned  to  former  scenes,  he  briskly  and 
joyfully  takes  all  the  familiar  turnings,  enters  the 


28     Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

well-known  drive,  and  unerringly  goes  to  the  wonted 
stall,  and  who  shall  say  what  hymn  of  thanksgiving 
goes  up  from  his  anxious  heart  for  this  blessing 
bestowed  ?  Many  horses  which  when  newly  arrived 
from  the  country  refuse  to  feed  well,  and  seem  gen- 
erally "  out-of-sorts,"  are  suffering  from  nothing  in 
the  world  but  nostalgia,  and  only  time  can  alleviate 
their  pangs ;  although  a  return  to  health  and  spirits 
is,  when  it  occurs,  credited  to  the  various  drugs  and 
nostrums  employed. 

It  is  this  active  memory  that  proves  our  safeguard 
in  handling  the  animal,  and  without  it  his  use  by 
man  would  be  quite  impossible.  In  time  of  emer- 
gency, if  he  answer  to  the  sharp  "  Whoa !  "  and 
stands  still,  no  matter  what  befall,  it  is  because  his 
one-ideaed  mind  and  memory  associate  the  order 
with  the  fact  that  the  sound  (not  word  —  he  does  not 
understand  that)  has  always  enforced  instant  cessa- 
tion from  motion,  and  an  obligation  to  stand  still 
until  directed  to  do  something  else.  Once  learned 
—  and  every  horse  can  learn  and  should  be  taught 
to  obey  at  once  — he  never  forgets  this  lesson,  and 


I         V 


Faithfulness,  Memory,  Love  of  Home    29 

even  should  you  give  the  command  when  he  is 
going  down-hill,  over  smooth  ice,  he  will  stop,  and 
refrain  from  voluntary  motion,  even  though  he  slides 
to  the  bottom.  The  memory  that  he  has  always 
proved  able  to  move  a  big  load  will  make  him  fairly 
"  pull  his  heart  out "  at  anything  he  is  harnessed 
to;  but  woe  to  you  if  his  strength  is  inadequate  to 
move  it,  for  he  will  never  forget  that  either !  Of  the 
two  results  he  will  naturally  adopt  as  final  that 
which  causes  him  least  exertion,  —  he  is  not  fool 
enough  to  overlook  this  advantage,  —  and  may  very 
probably  persist  in  his  refusal  to  try  again  until  you 
convince  him  that  he  cannot  help  himself. 

Any  faux  pas  committed  by  the  instructor  in  the 
training  of  colts,  or  in  their  subsequent  education,  is 
never  forgotten,  and,  whether  it  becomes  confirmed 
or  not  will  depend  upon  your  ability  in  making  a 
stronger  impression  upon  the  equine  mind  in  your 
ensuing  correction  of  your  mistake  and  of  his  mis- 
conduct. If  we  could  but  trace  up  the  causes  for  all 
the  accidents  and  stampedes  which  occur,  we  should 
almost  invariably  find  that  previous  mishaps  and 


30    Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

mistakes,  perhaps  in  babyhood,  had  caused  appre- 
hensions which,  while  dimmed,  had  never  been  for- 
gotten. 

The  horse  is  a  bully,  and  is  always  on  the  watch 
to  take  advantage  and  to  evade  obligations.  He 
will  "  size  you  up  "  in  a  moment.  The  animal  that 
walks  sedately  off  with  A  will  put  B  flat  on  his 
back ;  the  roadster  that  "  plays  the  fool  "  and  shies 
at  everything  with  C,  will  face  fire,  flood,  and  any- 
thing, when  D's  steady  nerve  telegraphs  through 
the  reins  that  all  this  "  bluffing  "  must  stop,  and  that 
discipline  will  be  enforced.  All  intercourse  should, 
upon  the  part  of  the  man,  be  calm  and  good-natured, 
but  firm,  prompt,  and  decided,  and  if  you  are  not 
up  to  the  mark  physically  or  mentally  your  horse 
knows  it  at  once,  whether  you  realise  it  or  not. 

Memory  it  is  that  ensures  us  protection  from  the 
animal's  propensity  to  bully  us.  He  never  forgets 
that  he  did  not  succeed  the  first  time  he  tried  it,  but 
was  signally  defeated  —  and  perhaps  well  punished 
for  his  insubordination.  In  the  same  way  he  never 
forgets  that  he  failed  in  his  efforts  to  kick,  to  rear, 


Faithfulness,  Memory,  Love  of  Home     31 

to  run  away,  to  lie  down,  etc. ;  and  this  memory  pre- 
vents his  trying  again,  and  ensures  us  safety  in  his 
use.  An  all-wise  Providence  has  thus  provided  us 
a  means  to  control  and  to  educate  him  which  is 
thoroughly  efficient,  and  which,  despite  his  very 
limited  mental  abilities,  renders  him  able  safely  to 
perform  for  us  the  various  tasks  at  which  we  use 
him,  in  the  manner  that  we  direct.  In  this  particular 
he  ranks  as  a  wonderfully  intelligent  creature,  and  in 
his  case,  as  in  that  of  man,  memory  is  the  faculty 
which  makes  possible  extensive  acquirements,  and 
advances  the  interests  not  only  of  himself,  but  of 
his  associates. 


CHAPTER    III. 
Affection  for  Animals,  Not  for  Man 

THE  horse  is  a  gregarious  animal,  and  as 
such  craves  the  companionship  of  his  kind, 
or  failing  that,  of  any  other  living  creature,  man 
ranking  lowest  not  in  the  list  of  his  affections,  but 
of  his  tolerations.  As  the  slang  phrase  runs,  he 
emphatically  "  has  no  use  for  "  the  biped,  save  as  a 
drawer  of  water  and  a  means  to  the  end  of  food 
and  shelter.  As  such,  man  has  his  uses  in  equine 
eyes,  but  not  otherwise,  nor  for  any  other  purposes. 
True,  to  the  hunter  camped  for  the  night  upon  the 
plains  may  come  his  four-footed  comrade  in  the 
"  dim  watches  of  the  night,"  and  may  graze  or  stand 
near  him ;  but  should  he  thus  seem  to  seek  compan- 
ionship in  the  vast  solitudes  of  the  prairies  it  is 
regarded  by  the  experienced  not  as  a  cause  for  self- 
congratulation  and  as  a  manifestation  of  affection, 


Affection  for  Animals,  Not  for  Man  33 

but  as  an  evidence  of  apprehension,  a  token  of  un- 
easiness at  the  impending  storm,  the  hovering 
coyotes  or  other  dangers;  nor  will  he  thus  seek  his 
master  unless  he  is  absolutely  alone;  if  others  of  his 
kind  are  in  company  with  him,  the  proprietor  finds 
that  his  only  means  of  security  from  straying  or 
disappearing  altogether  is  assured  by  the  use  of 
strong  hobbles,  and  short-coupled  at  that.  Alack 
for  the  theorist  who  would  turn  his  steed  loose, 
unfettered  of  limb,  and  expect  always  to  find  him 
again,  even  had  theirs  been  the  close  companionship 
of  years ! 

A  horse  will  not  seek  his  master  in  the  field  save 
for  selfish  ends ;  nor  will  he  select  him  from  among 
several  others,  if  they  all  use  the  same  sounds  and 
gestures ;  and  he  advances  as  readily  at  a  call  mean- 
ing "  Go  away !  "  as  "  Come  here !  "  provided  the 
sounds  and  intonation  be  similar.  He  knows  no 
one  by  sight,  although  his  sense  of  smell  has  seemed 
sometimes  to  aid  him;  but  even  so,  it  was  some 
familiar  and  perhaps  unconscious  gesture,  action, 
or  manner  that  aided  his  efforts  at  identification, 


34    Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

allayed  his  feeling  of  distrust  and  timidity,  and 
caused  him  to  seem  to  recognise  his  friend.  Senti- 
ment to  the  contrary,  he  has  no  "  longing  for  the 
familiar  hand,  the  well-known  voice,"  nor  will  he 
"  cuddle  his  head  upon  your  breast  in  the  expression 
of  his  wordless  affection,"  as  the  fairy  tales  run.  If 
he  does  so  "  cuddle,"  it  is  because  some  one  has 
been  accustomed  to  fondle  him  thus;  and  this  is 
tolerated  because  of  the  sugar  or  carrot  which  has 
proved  a  not  unusual  accompaniment.  While  dis- 
tressing to  the  writer  thus  to  wipe  away  the  cob- 
webs of  tradition  and  of  school-book  narrative,  cold 
facts  are  what  they  will  be,  and  most  actions  of  our 
four-footed  friends  are  explainable  if  reasons  for 
them  are  sought. 

If  affection  is  not  felt  for  man,  resentment  is 
plainly  evidenced,  and  certain  race-horses  have  been 
known  either  to  fly  into  a  frightful  rage,  or  to  shake 
and  sweat  with  dread  when  they  heard  the  tones  of 
a  jockey  who  had  brutally  punished  them  in  a  race ; 
yet  this  same  rider  could  stand  directly  before  them, 
and  no  demonstration  followed  as  long  as  he  did  not 


Affection  for  Animals,  Not  for  Man  35 

use  his  voice;  but  of  that  the  merest  whisper  was 
enough.  It  would  be  most  interesting  to  see  whether 
such  an  animal  could  by  any  means  recognise  such 
a  man  if  he  had  never  before  heard  him  speak ;  but 
the  chances  are  against  it,  although,  as  stated  above, 
the  sense  of  smell  might  assist.  One  well-known 
race-mare  was  so  upset  every  day  by  hearing  the 
trainer's  voice  giving  orders  to  the  boy-rider  when  at 
exercise,  that  nothing  could  be  done  with  her  until  a 
code  of  signals  was  arranged  by  means  of  a  stick,  etc. 
From  that  day  (the  trainer  changing  his  appearance 
in  no  way),  she  was  perfectly  quiet  and  tractable,  al- 
though the  man  was  always  about  her  both  in  and  out 
of  the  stable.  He  might  be  in  her  box  for  a  long 
time,  handle  her  in  any  way,  but  if  he  spoke,  she 
would  fly  at  him  instantly,  and  act  like  a  wild  thing 
for  some  time  after.  Certain  race-horses  also  take 
such  a  violent  antipathy  to  certain  riders  that  they 
will  not  try  to  race  when  ridden  by  them,  but  sulk 
and  refuse  to  run;  nor  are  these  always  boys  who 
have  abused  them. 

There  is  something  about  a  highly  organised,  in- 


36    Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

tensely  nervous  horse  that  makes  him  quick  to  take 
these  notions  of  dislike.  Of  course,  all  race-horses, 
as  they  advance  in  training,  become  irritable  and 
irrational  to  a  degree  —  and,  man  or  beast,  there 
is  something  about  perfect  physical  condition  that 
acts  upon  the  mental,  and  renders  them  at  these 
times  unreasonable,  morose,  and  "  crotchety  "  to  a 
degree,  and  it  is  then  that  personal  inclination  as  to 
society  or  seclusion  must  be  closely  studied  and  intel- 
ligently catered  to  if  the  best  results  are  to  accrue. 
The  writer  has  often  thought  that  we  do  not  suffi- 
ciently regard  the  sense  of  hearing  —  of  "  pitch  "  — 
in  the  animal  ear.  We  all  know  that  certain  tones 
or  notes  in  voice  or  instrument  will  make  dogs  un- 
easy, finally  howling  dismally,  or  escaping  if  possi- 
ble; and  it  has  been  said  that  every  violin  or  piano 
has  some  special  notes  of  harmony  or  discord  that 
will  drive  any  dog  to  desperation.  He  believes  that 
the  horse  is  affected  in  the  same  way,  but  possibly 
to  a  lesser  degree.  Certain  horses  seem  to  rejoice  in 
carrying  the  drums  in  a  mounted  band;  others  can 
never  be  made  to  submit  quietly.  Every  one  has 


Affection  for  Animals,  Not  for  Man  37 

seen  an  animal,  standing  in  his  box,  evidence  irrita- 
tion and  violent  anger  at  the  voice  of  some  total 
stranger,  yet  treat  his  companions  with  every 
courtesy,  —  and  here,  perhaps,  crops  out  as  well 
the  propensity  to  bully. 

Horses  are  perfectly  submissive  in  the  hands  of 
some  men,  although  they  have  never  seen  them 
before.  A  certain  "  horse  dentist "  was  sent  for, 
to  attend  to  the  teeth  of  a  very  savage  stallion,  but, 
through  a  mistake,  was  not  informed  that  the  animal 
was  vicious.  He  arrived,  and  finding  no  one  in 
charge  of  the  stable,  and  seeing  that  there  was  only 
one  stallion  stabled  there,  concluded  he  was  the 
subject,  and,  entering  his  box,  was  busily  working 
upon  his  teeth,  when  the  man  in  charge  returned. 
The  groom  could  hardly  believe  his  eyes,  as  he  had 
himself  for  years  been  the  only  one  who  could 
handle  the  horse.  The  secret  of  it  was  that  the 
doctor,  not  knowing  the  horse  was  vicious,  had  no 
fear,  and  as  he  was  of  the  wise  few  who  never 
"speak  to  horses,"  the  stallion  considered  him  his 
regular  attendant,  and  submitted  at  once.  Had  he 


38    Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

spoken  he  would  have  been  recognised  as  a  stranger, 
and  probably  killed  off-hand. 

Horses  kept  in  what  is  practically  solitary  con- 
finement, as  is  the  case  with  many  stallions,  and  with 
trotters  and  race-horses  far  too  often,  form  strange 
and  touching  friendships  with  all  sorts  of  animals,  — 
cats,  dogs,  goats,  sheep,  fowls,  etc.,  —  and  are  some- 
times quite  inconsolable  without  them,  provided  their 
solitary  existence  is  continued.  It  has  always 
seemed,  however,  that  too  much  stress  was  put 
upon  the  display  of  affection  by  the  equine,  and 
hardly  any  of  the  credit  given  to  his  little  com- 
panion, who  always  made  the  first  advances,  and 
who  could  leave  the  box  at  any  time,  but  preferred 
to  stop  with  his  big  "  pal."  How  true  this  is  may 
be  proved  by  turning  such  a  horse  out  to  grass  with 
others,  or  even  alone,  and  by  confining  his  partner 
where  he  can  see  and  be  with  him  if  he  will  —  nor 
perhaps,  if  he  could  always  see  him  would  the  test 
be  fair,  for  that  might  suffice.  Not  in  one  case  in 
a  thousand  will  the  steed  pay  any  further  attention 
to  his  erstwhile  cherished  comrade. 


IP 

•o 


Affection  for  Animals,  Not  for  Man  39 

The  celebrated  trotting  stallion  Cresceus  was  al- 
ways accompanied  by  his  dog,  which  never  left  him, 
save  when  he  was  taking  part  in  the  actual  race ;  yet 
how  much  of  this  fidelity  was  creditable  to  the  dog  no 
one  has  ever  troubled  to  wonder  or  to  investigate. 
Most  race-horses  are  preceded  by  a  special  compan- 
ion, sometimes  a  tiny  pony,  in  most  of  their  slow  ex- 
ercise; yet,  if  emergency  arises,  any  other  horse 
seems  to  answer  nearly  as  well,  provided  he  calmly 
and  confidently  leads  them  —  his  tranquillity  allay- 
ing their  nervous  apprehension. 

The  more  highly  bred  the  subject  the  more  likely 
is  he  to  betray  the  characteristics  of  affectionate 
regard  for  certain  other  creatures.  The  coarse-bred 
dullard  is  indifferent  to  such  things.  In  a  similar 
way  greater  intelligence  is  to  be  expected  from  all 
well-descended  animals,  provided  the  laws  of  in- 
breeding have  not  been  outraged  too  severely.  For 
this  reason  strictly  thoroughbred  horses  are  useless 
for  circus  or  other  trick  purposes,  —  they  are  too  in- 
telligent to  be  hoodwinked,  and  too  impatient  of 


40    Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

restraint  to  attempt  to  train  with  reasonable  prospect 
of  success. 

If  there  were  anything  in  the  theory  of  the  horse's 
affection  for  man,  one  would  be  safe  in  expecting 
that,  at  this  same  circus  work,  he  would  delight  in 
performing  at  his  best  through  love  of  the  master 
who  tenderly  cares  for  and  liberally  rewards  com- 
petent rehearsal  and  proper  performance.  The  plain 
truth  is  that  all  these  horses  get  finally  out  of  control 
—  save  in  a  few,  very  few  instances  —  and  have  to 
be  relegated  to  other  uses.  The  troupes  of  perform- 
ing horses  never  last  long  before  the  public,  because 
the  cunning  creatures  find  that  they  may,  in  public, 
set  authority  at  defiance ;  as  they  learn  that  the  dire 
punishment  which  follows  the  slightest  mistake  in 
private  cannot  be  inflicted  in  public;  nor  can  any 
errors  be  corrected  at  the  daily  rehearsal,  because 
there  they  are  generally  letter-perfect,  and  rarely 
make  the  slightest  error. 

Therefore  the  creature's  "  affection "  is  rarely 
more  than  mere  gregarious  instinct.  He  loves  com- 
panionship, and  wants  some  living  thing  to  chum 


Affection  for  Animals,  Not  for  Man  41 

with,  but  as  a  rule,  if  he  can  always  freely  see  and 
hear  his  kind,  he  has  no  use  for  other  connection, 
and  the  odd  relations  which  exist  between  himself 
and  various  other  animals  are  due  to  their  advances 
and  to  his  toleration.  If  this  were  not  true,  he  would 
in  a  wild  state  herd  and  graze  with  other  than  his 
kind ;  but  he  never  does  so  if  the  latter  can  be  found. 
It  is  to  animals  in  their  wild  state  that  we  must 
turn  for  natural  instincts  —  not  to  the  domesticated, 
whose  fancies  may  be  diseased.  Primitive  man 
hardly  cared  for  cigarettes,  cotillions,  and  cham- 
pagne —  it  was  only  when  civilised  and  domesticated 
that  these  unnatural  tastes  developed  and  overcame 
him. 


Ipart  n. 
Iborse  Education 


part  11. 
1bor0e  Education 

CHAPTER   I. 
Education  of  Colts 

THE  man  who  thoroughly  and  properly  edu- 
cates a  young  horse  confers  a  direct  benefit 
upon  humanity,  and  by  the  consequent  safety  and 
ability  which  his  manipulation  ensures,  his  pupil 
becomes  a  blessing  to  mankind,  increasing  the  esteem 
in  which  the  animal  is  held,  and  vastly  enlarging  the 
sphere  of  usefulness  of  his  race. 

If  young  horses  could  always,  and  from  the  very 
first,  know  us  intimately  as  puppies  do,  and  if  their 
education  began  regularly  from  the  very  moment  of 
their  birth,  there  would  be  little  need  for  many 
of  the  appliances  which  we  now  esteem  absolutely 

45 


46     Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

essential  to  their  control  and  safe  use,  and  the  term 
"  breaking  "  (which  always  seems  to  imply  brutality 
at  some  period  and  abusive  measures  to  overcome  a 
resistance  which,  if  unprovoked,  is  rarely  offered) 
would  never  have  been  applied  to  the  process. 
Man's  presence  should  never  be  associated  with  any- 
thing unpleasant,  but  always  with  tender  care,  pro- 
gressive instruction,  and  performance,  which  the 
pupil,  by  reward  of  food  and  caress  of  hand  (never 
of  voice),  understands  to  be  satisfactory. 

A  quiet  and  leisurely  moving  groom  is  invaluable 
around  young  horses;  a  trainer  would  be  better  if 
he  were  dumb,  or  always  firmly  gagged  before  he 
began  his  duties.  Two  words  he  will  probably  need 
to  use,  "Whoa!"  and  "Cl'k!"  "Back"  is  also 
permissible,  although  by  no  means  essential,  and 
when  the  education  is  complete,  "  the  student  gradu- 
ated," he  will  be  a  better  and  more  lively  horse  if 
he  never  again  hears  any  word  but  "  Whoa !  "  and 
that  rarely  and  only  when  meant  to  be  instantly 
obeyed.  However  green  and  awkward  a  colt  may 
be,  if  he  understands  that  "  Whoa!  "  means  "  stop  " 


Education  of  Colts  47 

—  dead  still ;  stop  in  full  career,  slide,  slip,  or  fall ; 
"  stop  and  stand  still "  —  he  is  wiser  than  ninety 
per  cent,  of  his  confreres  ever  learn  to  become,  and 
the  man  who  trained  him  deserves  more  than  well 
of  his  fellow  beings.  Nor  is  the  accomplishment 
difficult  to  acquire,  or  complicated  to  impart  —  a 
very  little  patience  is  the  only  requisite  upon  both 
sides  —  yet  what  colt  educator  thoroughly  teaches 
it  ?  What  consumer  ever  appreciates  it  or  rehearses 
it  constantly,  that  the  habit  may  not  grow  rusty 
through  disuse?  Every  baby  should  obey  the  word 
implicitly  before  ever  harness  is  put  upon  him,  and 
a  yearling  should  be  as  biddable  as  any  horse. 

When  the  little  thing  is  three  or  four  weeks  old, 
it  should  be  accustomed  to  the  halter,  to  leading,  and 
to  standing  tied.  Even  before  that  —  from  the  very 
day  of  birth  —  it  should  have  been  handled  regularly 
all  over,  and  as  a  matter  of  course;  constantly  pushed 
and  pulled  gently  about  for  a  few  steps ;  and  should 
grow  up  with  the  idea  firmly  implanted  that  the 
curious  biped  who  is  always  about  it  and  its  mother 
is  so  strong  and  masterful  that  resistance  to  his 


48     Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

directions  is  quite  useless.  "  Early  impressions  with 
animals  and  children  are  lasting.  The  head-collar 
should  be  of  soft  but  strong  leather,  fitting  snugly 
about  the  nose,  so  that  the  little  chap  may  not  catch 
a  hind  foot  in  it,  as  he  is  not  unlikely  to  do  when 
scratching  his  cheek,  etc.,  and  so  arranged  that  the 
cheek-pieces  will  not  draw  into  his  eyes.  Lead  him 
behind  or  beside  his  mother,  —  for  he  will  go  freely 
after  her,  —  just  restraining  him  enough  so  that 
he  may  feel  that  he  is  not  free,  and  if  he  goes  along 
quietly  for  fifty  feet  or  so,  unsnap  your  halter-shank 
and  let  him  go,  but  never  if  he  is  pulling  at  you 
at  the  time;  wait  until  he  chances  to  be  quiet,  and  if 
he  is  loosened  then  he  ^vill  not  get  the  idea  that 
his  efforts  effected  it.  A  few  brief  lessons  like  this, 
and  he  is  ready  to  be  really  led.  Generally  he  will 
come  quietly  with  you,  but  be  prepared  for  the  worst. 
If  he  resists,  do  not  pull  him  or  jerk  him,  and  above 
all  do  not  look  him  in  the  eye  —  unless  he  is  very 
wilful.  Simply  stand  still  and  hold  your  own ;  the 
rest  is  his  affair.  Let  him  pull  it  out,  —  'he  is  learn- 
ing every  instant,  —  and  when  he  does  "  come 


Education  of  Colts  49 

a-running,"  as  he  will  in  a  few  moments,  he  has 
learned  a  lesson  which  he  will  never  forget.  Be 
careful,  if  he  throws  himself,  to  keep  his  head  up 
lest  he  injure  an  eye  or  stun  himself.  Once  con- 
vinced that  he  cannot  get  free,  he  will  never  try, 
nor  attempt,  when  he  is  tied  up,  to  break  that  slender 
rope  which  has  proved  so  powerful. 

When  you  begin  to  put  harness,  etc.,  upon  him, 
let  him  see,  smell,  and  touch  every  article.  Add  to 
the  harness  one  piece  at  a  time,  beginning  with  a 
surcingle,  and  put  it  on  and  off  many  times  daily, 
gradually  increasing  the  tightness  of  girths,  etc. 
Accustom  him,  finally,  to  have  it  thrown  on  to  him 
and  dragged  carelessly  off,  the  saddle  left  hanging 
about  his  heels  by  the  crupper  under  his  tail,  etc. 
Add  all  sorts  of  loose  pieces  to  hang  about  and  tickle 
his  legs  and  under  his  tail  —  old  straps,  pieces  of 
chain,  tin  pans,  if  you  like.  Educating  a  colt  is 
simply  accustoming  him  to  everything,  and  a  lot 
of  odds  and  ends  dangling  about  him  is  no  more 
fearsome  than  the  ordinary  harness ;  while,  for  the 
same  reason,  a  rattling,  creaking,  break-cart  is  to 


50     Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

be  preferred  to  the  absolutely  silent  vehicle,  and  an 
ideal  "  school "  would  contain  elevated  roads,  auto- 
mobiles, pile-drivers,  brass  bands,  and  steam  drills. 
A  horse  fears  everything  which  is  strange  —  nothing 
to  which  he  is  accustomed.  The  sleepy  artillery 
horse,  indifferent  to  cannon  firing  in  his  face,  runs 
away  at  sight  of  a  flapping  apron.  Therefore,  let  the 
pupil  be  arrayed  in  all  sorts  of  fantastic  trappings, 
wearing  them  at  first  in  his  box  and  then  outside, 
until  he  absolutely  fears  no  combination.  The  writer 
once  won  some  very  "  easy  money  "  by  driving  a 
yearling  a  mile  and  back  over  a  country  road,  the 
youngster  drawing  the  gig  by  his  tail,  and  holding 
it  back  by  his  bare  hind  quarters.  Any  colt  will  do 
the  same  if  you  teach  him,  and,  no  matter  how  un- 
comfortable, he  will  acquiesce  if  he  has  been  taught 
(as  this  one  had)  that  he  would  not  be  hurt,  and 
that  he  could  not  help  himself. 

When  first  taken  outdoors,  he  is  to  be  led  about  by 
his  halter-shank  (with  all  the  harness  and  loose  ends 
on  him),  and  brought  back  every  few  minutes  to 
the  starting-point,  where  he  is  to  be  partially  unhar- 


Education  of  Colts  51 

nessed  (buckles  eased,  etc.),  and  taught  to  stand  still, 
an  act  which  he  soon  accepts  as  part  of  the  task. 
Short  lessons  and  plenty  of  them  are  the  thing,  and 
two  or  three  days  at  this  are  well  spent.  During 
the  last  day  or  two  have  cords  attached  to  the  traces, 
and  let  a  man  walk  behind,  holding  and  quietly  pull- 
ing back  upon  them,  especially  at  starting  off.  The 
pupil  thus  gets  the  idea  that  he  can  pull  anything; 
is  accustomed  to  seeing  a  man  behind  him;  and 
when  put  in  a  gig  will  probably  go  off  at  once.  Keep 
him  at  this  until  he  exercises  quite  a  bit  of  strength 
in  the  traces,  and  will  also  allow  them  to  swing  and 
slap  loosely  against  quarters  and  hocks.  Caress 
him  always  for  good  performance,  and  caress  the 
part  he  has  used  in  performing  the  act,  always  in- 
cluding the  brain,  and  don't  imagine  he  doesn't 
understand,  or  that  this  association  of  "  will  and 
deed  "  is  not  intelligible  to  him.  Let  the  signal  to 
advance  and  the  act  of  pulling  on  the  traces  be  asso- 
ciated in  his  mind  now,  and  it  is  there  for  good 
and  all ;  you  will  never  find  him  balking  thereafter. 
Here  he  should  be  taught  to  back,  and  the  best 


52     Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

practice  possible  is  to  lead  him  up  to  a  familiar  door 
or  gate,  which  swings  toward  him;  get  him  too 
near  it  for  it  to  open  until  he  moves  backward,  and, 
as  you  pull  it  to  him,  press  back  upon  the  halter, 
and  say  "  Back !  "  clearly  and  firmly,  but  do  not 
shout.  He  must  move  back,  and  he  does;  he  sees 
the  reason  for  the  retrograde  movement,  and  he  asso- 
ciates the  act  with  the  word.  Do  this  now  every 
time  he  passes  the  gate  —  several  times  at  each  pas- 
sage, and  in  a  day  or  two  you  may  take  up  the 
practice  as  you  lead  him  about,  but  always  standing 
in  front  of  him,  making  sure  that  he  is  standing 
square  and  in  position  to  comply ;  accompanying  the 
word  with  quick  pressure  on  the  halter,  and,  when 
he  obeys,  never  forcing  him  back  more  than  a  few 
steps  before  advancing  again.  Toward  the  last, 
arrange  cords  on  his  breeching,  and  pull  against 
these  as  he  backs,  so  that  he  may  get  the  idea  of 
bracing  himself  against  weight.  Show  him  at  every 
step  the  reason  for  the  act,  and  associate  its  prompt 
compliance  with  caress.  The  reins,  hitherto  buckled 
in  the  head  collar,  may  now  be  transferred  to  a  large 


Education  of  Colts  53 

leather  bit,  thick,  but  only  wide  enough  to  fit  his  little 
mouth,  its  rings  large,  and  protected  by  leather 
circles  that  it  may  not  pull  through.  Let  your  man 
now  lead  him,  and  do  you  drive  him,  applying  proper 
pressure  to  turn  him  right,  left,  and  to  stop  and  back. 
In  a  day  or  two  —  this  process  will  have  already  con- 
sumed five  or  six  days  —  you  should  take  him  into 
a  yard,  or  other  small  enclosure  where  you  can  be 
alone,  and  there  put  him  through  all  the  manosuvres 
described,  driving  but  not  leading  him;  a  check  of 
the  "  side  "  variety,  but  having  its  loops  placed  high 
on  the  crowft-pieces,  being  now  imposed,  just  short 
enough  for  him  to  feel,  if  he  hangs  his  head  very 
low.  This  may  be  taken  up  by  degrees  until  he  gives 
to  it  and  has  to  carry  his  head  steadily,  but  at  every 
lesson  it  should  be  easy  at  starting  and  tightened 
only  after  his  neck  muscles  have  become  warm  and 
well  flexed,  when  he  can  yield  to  it  easily ;  and,  after 
his  last  lesson  each  day,  he  should,  on  returning  to 
his  box,  be  checked  up  a  few  holes  higher  and  left  to 
bend  himself  for  ten  minutes  or  so,  always  caressing 
jaw  and  neck  when  the  bridle  is  removed.  Never 


54     Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

let  any  one  persuade  you  to  use  a  "  bitting  harness," 
and  if  you  get  the  chance  at  one,  out  knife  and  never 
stop  cutting  it  to  pieces ;  what  human  hands  cannot 
do,  no  machine  can  accomplish,  at  least  in  horse 
training.  Nature  has  afforded  you  in  the  horse's 
mouth  a  wonderfully  constructed  and  sensitive 
means  for  controlling  the  animal.  Did  you  ever 
study  it  ?  Do  be  careful  how  you  abuse  and  destroy 
its  exquisite  tissues  and  nerves.  Your  pupil  will 
"  make  and  harden  "  his  own  mouth  if  you  will  but 
give  him  the  chance. 

There  has  never  seemed  any  advantage  in  driving 
a  colt  in  double  harness,  but,  if  you  think  so,  be  sure 
that  you  provide  a  nimble,  quick  partner  (at  start 
and  at  walk),  and  a  fearless,  for  colts  are  very 
imitative.  Perhaps  a  sluggard  may  be  best  double, 
for  emulation  wakes  him  up,  and  may  make  a 
quicker,  livelier  animal  of  him.  Short  drives  of 
only  a  few  moments  are  best,  and  be  very  careful 
that  shoulders  do  not  get  chafed  or  bruised,  and 
change  the  side  the  baby  works  on  every  trip,  thus 
keeping  his  mouth  and  action  true  and  even. 


Education  of  Colts  55 

All  colts  are  different,  and  the  same  colt  is  rarely 
two  days  alike.  Be  doubly  patient  with  the  slow- 
witted  and  the  dull  (or  the  easily  confused  and 
frightened).  Never  tire  him,  but  always  try  to  have 
him  fresh  and  interested,  and,  furthermore,  if  you 
are  conscious  that  you  "  got  out  of  bed  the  wrong 
side  "  and  are  worried,  or  nervous,  or  irritable,  give 
the  job  the  go-by  for  that  day.  Your  colt  will  find 
it  out  sure,  even  if  you  do  not  thoroughly  realise  it 
yourself,  and  a  circus  may  ensue  that  will  undo  all 
your  work,  and  spoil  a  horse.  Take  your  own 
mental  temperature  every  morning  —  your  colt's,  if 
you  handle  him,  will  probably  prove  the  same. 

Let  the  colt  see  the  gig,  smell  it,  and  touch  it; 
of  course  you  always  use  an  open  bridle.  Bring 
it  to  him,  run  it  to  him,  lead  him  about,  and  have 
it  drawn  behind  him;  bring  the  shafts  on  to  his 
withers,  against  his  legs,  etc.,  and  finally,  when  he 
has  no  fear  of  it,  and  has  been  placed  between  the 
shafts  and  then  led  out  several  times,  have  every- 
thing in  readiness  and  "  put  him  to."  You  should 
be  at  his  head.  The  traces  should  hook  on  to  a  staple 


56     Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

close  to  the  tugs  (short  straps  being  used  tempo- 
rarily) ;  the  breeching  should  hook,  the  belly-band 
ditto,  the  kicking-strap  (the  "  Kentucky  "  X.  kind, 
as  in  illustration)  should  snap  each  side,  and  you 
and  your  assistant  should  have  all  fast  in  an  instant. 
Let  him  stand  for  a  few  moments,  if  he  will,  but 
if  uneasy,  lead  him  off,  your  assistant  walking 
behind  with  the  reins;  and  look  out  for  squalls, 
although  nine  times  in  ten  the  little  creature  will 
not  rebel.  Do  not  ask  him  to  turn  too  sharply,  and, 
each  time  you  take  him  out  of  his  gig  "  put  him  to  " 
again  at  once  (just  for  a  moment).  Let  your  assist- 
ant mount  the  seat  as  soon  as  the  colt  is  used  to 
his  hampering  surroundings;  keep  a  hand  on  the 
halter  (always  retained)  the  next  few  times  he  is 
driven;  then  drive  him  where  you  like,  assured  of 
reasonable  safety,  and  in  three  weeks  from  begin- 
ning you  should  have  a  well-educated,  active,  willing 
youngster,  sensible  and  better-mouthed  than  half  the 
old  horses. 

But,  says  the  reader,  what  about  misbehaviour? 
True,  colts  will  misbehave,  and  they  are  never  really 


Education  of  Colts  57 

safe  until  there  has  been  a  quarrel  and  they  have  been 
mastered.  Educated  as  described,  there  will,  up 
to  now,  have  arisen  trouble  from  only  two  causes 
(in  all  probability).  Every  colt,  sooner  or  later, 
will  try  to  kick,  but  a  properly  placed  and  stout 
kicking-strap  nips  all  that  in  the  bud,  and  no  young 
or  fresh  horse  should  ever  be  driven  without  one ;  it 
is  no  trouble,  and  it  is  like  carrying  a  revolver,  — 
you  may  never  need  it,  but  if  you  do,  you'll  need  it 
mighty  bad!  Therefore,  put  it  on  and  keep  it  on, 
long  after  all  necessity  seems  past.  Not  every  smash 
is  caused  by  vice,  and  a  frolic  often  ends  in  a  row. 
The  other  "  break  "  your  pupil  may  make  is  to  throw 
himself,  and  if  he  does,  pile  on  to  his  neck  and  sit 
there  while  you  smoke  a  cigar.  The  little  beggar  is 
doing  a  heap  .of  hard  thinking  all  the  while,  and  the 
conclusion  he  reaches  is  that  that  particular  game 
doesn't  pay.  If  he  tries  it  again,  sing  out  for  some 
rope,  tie  his  legs  together,  fix  his  head  comfortably, 
and  leave  him  there  for  an  hour  or  so.  He  is  learn- 
ing that  you  are  stronger  than  he  —  or,  rather,  you 
are  deceiving  him  to  that  effect. 


58     Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

A  "  trip  line  "  to  a  fore  foot  is  a  safeguard,  if  a 
colt  is  inclined  to  bolt,  or  perhaps  run  away,  but 
this  inclination  is  best  combated  perhaps  by  double- 
harness  work.  With  the  light  and  sensitive  mouth 
such  a  colt  will  have,  and  educated  as  he  has  been, 
this  escapade  is  unlikely,  but  if  worst  comes,  and  you 
feel  that  he  is  "  going,"  try  to  "  whirl "  him  by 
putting  your  strength  on  one  rein  and  circling  him, 
if  you  have  room;  or  put  him  head-on  to  a  fence 
or  building  if  time  serves.  There  is  an  indefinable 
preliminary  cringing,  dropping  of  tail  and  ears,  etc., 
—  hard  to  describe  but  unmistakable  after  you  have 
"  been  there  "  once  or  twice,  —  and  when  you  see 
it  coming,  do  anything  you  can  accomplish  quickest, 
even  to  throwing  him,  if  possible,  for  he  may 
endanger  other  lives  if  he  gets  under  way. 

Punishment  must  come,  and  it  should  always  be 
severe,  but  try  to  let  him  know  the  exact  reason  for 
it.  For  instance,  he  tries  to  turn  round ;  this  proba- 
bly happened  when  you  were  driving  him  on  foot, 
and  well  if  so,  because  you  could  correct  him  then 
and  there.  Try  to  straighten  him  out,  giving  him 


3 

PH 


Education  of  Colts  59 

time,  but  if  he  will  not,  then  hand  him  one  sharp 
cut  of  the  whip  —  just  one  good  one  —  along  the 
proper  side  (that  to  which  he  turns)  ;  then  wait,  for 
perhaps  he  will  straighten  up.  If  not,  hit  him  again, 
each  time  giving  him  the  chance  to  answer  your  rein, 
and  so  continue  until  he  obeys.  Proceed  the  same  in 
every  emergency ;  but  if  you  cannot  instantly  punish 
disobedience,  better  let  the  incident  pass  for  that 
time.  If  you  will  have  a  definite  idea  that  satisfies 
yourself  what  you  punish  for,  it  is  astonishing  how 
little  you  will  punish  at  all!  Or,  in  other  words, 
flagellation  is  generally  unnecessary. 

Never  punish  an  animal  for  shying.  Remember 
he  fears  nothing  to  which  he  is  accustomed;  there- 
fore "  get  him  used  to "  what  he  fears.  If  he 
persists,  his  eyes  are  wrong,  or  some  one  has  pun- 
ished him  for  shying  at  that  particular  thing  (or 
things),  and  he  associates  cause  and  effect.  Any 
other  follies  and  foibles  of  which  the  infant  may 
become  possessed  are  combated  along  similar  lines, 
and  there  is  rarely  any  difficulty  in  carrying  his 
further  education  to  any  lengths  desired. 


60     Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

More  summary  methods  must  be  employed  with 
more  mature  colts,  or  horses  fully  developed  and 
able  to  resist  (and  these  same  plans  may  be  used  for 
the  youngsters,  but  gentler  ways  answer  best  for 
them).  The  operations  of  a  few  "vicious  horse" 
handlers  have  made  these  proceedings  (elaborated 
and  spoiled  by  them  for  show  purposes)  familiar  in 
detail,  and  they  all  include  the  same  principle  — 
rendering  the  horse  from  the  start  powerless  to 
resist,  and  obliging  him  to  yield  at  length  to  almost 
any  demand.  Modified  to  meet  individual  require- 
ments, these  methods,  though  rough  and  ready,  are 
very  effective,  and  are  detailed  in  the  chapter  on 
"  Vice  and  Its  Correction." 

Colts  are  trained  to  saddle  by  simply  putting  a 
boy  up  (the  pad  or  saddle  having  no  stirrups),  hav- 
ing a  man  at  each  side,  with  a  rope  to  the  headstall 
to  hold  the  colt,  and  also  to  give  the  lad  a  hand 
if  the  youngster  bucks  hard.  Thoroughbred  year- 
lings are  generally  following  each  other  around  the 
track,  with  boys  up,  and  quite  sedate,  within  two 
days  after  being  first  backed,  and  in  a  week  or 


Education  of  Colts  6 1 

ten  days  are  quite  waywise,  and  steady  enough  to 
go  on  the  roads,  etc.,  nor  does  this  summary  method 
seem  to  have  any  particularly  bad  effects  upon  either 
temper  or  mouth.  We  have  always  been  taught 
that  certain  preliminaries  were  advisable,  but  theory 
must  always  give  way  to  satisfactory  practice,  and 
certainly,  in  this  case,  results  are  good  enough  for 
practical  purposes. 

No  colt  is  ever  born  vicious.  If  a  saucy  youngster 
becomes,  through  incapable  handling,  unmanage- 
able or  dangerous,  he  should  be  destroyed,  but  if 
he  does  adopt  such  practices,  it  is  solely  and  simply 
the  fault  of  the  man  who  essayed  to  educate  and 
control  him. 


CHAPTER   II. 
Equine  Education 

MAN  must  dominate  the  animal  kingdom  in 
all  his  relations  with  it,  and  no  such 
arrangement  as  a  partnership  between  the  human 
and  the  brute  is  possible.  The  master  hand  and 
mind  must  always  enforce  submission,  and  in  a  state 
of  domesticity  this  all  works  for  the  well-being  of  the 
animal  as  strongly  as  for  the  welfare  of  his  owner. 
Proper  and  patient  instruction  increases  the  animal's 
market  value  and  actual  worth,  and  his  receptive 
faculties  are  greatly  developed  by  the  demands  thus 
made  upon  them,  each  step  in  his  education  being 
the  easier  if  the  rudiments  have  been  thoroughly 
rehearsed  and  accepted. 

The  education  of  a  horse  may  proceed  as  far  as  the 
owner  pleases,  provided  its  direction  is  restrained 
within  limits  possible,  both  physically  and  mentally, 

62 


Equine  Education  63 

to  the  creature.  Most  of  us  are  satisfied  with  very 
little,  and  recognise  no  need  for  any  advance  beyond 
the  most  crude  service,  —  just  as  in  the  case  of  our 
own  children  we  deem  the  ordinary  curriculum  of 
the  public  schools  of  various  grades  all-sufficient,  and 
neither  encourage  nor  tolerate  further  exploration 
into  the  fields  of  knowledge.  The  higher  branches 
of  education  are  in  both  cases  considered  superfluous, 
yet  injustice  is  done  as  much  to  the  horse  as  to  the 
child  if  education  is  not  carried  as  far  as  circum- 
stances will  allow. 

Every  buyer  when  he  enters  the  horse  marts  seeks 
for  a  "  patent  safety  conveyance  "  for  himself  and 
his  family,  yet  by  mistaken  ideas  of  economy,  and 
by  unwillingness  to  pay  reasonable  prices  for  such 
articles,  renders  such  development  of  the  animal's 
moral  and  mental  powers  impossible  to  the  purveyor. 
To  niake  a  horse  safe,  fearless,  and  reliable,  he  must 
be  shown  and  familiarised  with  all  objects  at  vast 
expenditure  of  time,  labour,  and  money.  There  is 
no  other  way  to  do  it,  and  as  the  animal  fears  noth- 
ing he  is  familiar  with,  rehearsals  must  go  on  until 


64     Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

that  point  is  reached,  and  he  has  regularly  seen  and 
encountered  every  sort  of  disconcerting  sight  and 
heard  every  kind  of  alarming  noise. 

Now  if  the  buyer  will  not  pay  for  this  labour 
and  skill  in  the  wjay  of  increased  price,  certainly  the 
seller  is  foolish  to  proceed  any  further  than  will  en- 
able his  merchandise  to  pass  muster.  He  is  not  in 
business  for  his  health,  and  if  the  pater-familias  will 
persist  in  buying  for  a  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  a 
horse  which  he  knows  is  raw  and  "  green"  to  town 
and  city  sights,  resolutely  refusing  to  part  with  five 
hundred  dollars  or  thereabouts  for  a  properly  educa- 
ted animal,  let  the  woe  be  upon  his  head  which  his 
utter  folly  invokes. 

In  view  of  the  increasing  difficulties  and  dangers 
attending  progression  along  not  only  our  highways 
but  our  byways  as  well,  it  seems  inevitable  that  our 
horses  must  be  prepared  for  all  manner  of  hideous 
sights  and  sounds  before  they  are  brought  to  the  city 
markets,  and  a  not  improbable  part  of  the  equine 
schoolroom  of  the  future  will  be  gasping  and  toot- 
ing automobiles,  hissing  steam-drills,  snorting  en- 


Equine  Education  65 

gines,  blasts,  bonfires,  cannons,  and  music.  If  he  is 
duly  introduced  to  all  these  he  will  pay  not  the  slight- 
est heed  to  any  of  them.  How  he  feared  the  bicycle 
when  it  was  first  brought  out !  yet  to-day  what  raw 
colt  even  looks  at  one?  In  the  same  way  if  he  is 
trained  to  stand  tin  cans,  loose  chains  and  straps, 
and  rattling  wagon  behind  him,  he  never  flinches  at 
breakdown  or  smashup;  will  pull  the  wagon  by  his 
tail,  and  hold  it  back  by  his  bare  quarters  if  you  ask 
him  to  do  it  properly.  Just  show  him  that  he  won't 
be  hurt,  and  keep  rehearsing  him,  and  you  may 
accustom  the  wildest  brute  to  any  ridiculous  feat  or 
freak  your  fancy  conceives  and  his  limitations  admit. 
As  the  ideal  training-ground  would  provide  a 
medley  of  hideous  sights  and  sounds,  so  the  ideal 
trainer  would  be  dumb.  The  use  of  language  dis- 
tracts the  animal's  attention,  and  whatever  is  said 
to  him  should  be  always  brief,  abrupt,  and  distinct; 
the  tone,  as  nearly  as  possible,  always  the  same. 
He  who  never  speaks  to  a  horse  does  well ;  he  whose 
vocabulary  is  absolutely  limited  to  "  whoa ! "  and 
"  c'lk  "  is  fortunate.  To  speak  to  a  colt  or  a  wild 


66     Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

horse  is  to  arouse  in  his  foolish  brain  terror ;  his  one- 
ideaed  mind  cannot  grasp  the  two  details  of  your  ac- 
tions and  your  words.  The  former  he  finally  compre- 
hends by  their  physical  effect  upon  himself ;  the  latter 
he  never  understands  at  all,  although  the  tone  as  an 
accompaniment  and  effect  of  a  gesture  he  learns  to 
interpret.  The  two  words  you  do  employ  should 
never  mean  but  one  thing,  and  should  receive 
implicit  obedience.  "  Whoa  "  means  stop  —  slide, 
fall,  or  stumble,  perhaps,  but  stop  dead,  and  stand 
still.  "  C'lk,"  at  once  to  proceed  at  a  pace  regulated 
by  the  feeling  of  the  hand  upon  the  mouth.  The 
man  who  is  eternally  "  Steady,  old  man,"  "  Whoa- 
boy,"  or  "  P-weep-p-p-ing "  to  his  horse  is  an 
infernal  nuisance  and  a  menace  to  every  one  within 
hearing,  for  he  is  driving  every  other  horse  in  his 
neighbourhood,  and  spoiling  the  manners  of  his  own. 
Gag  yourself  if  you  can't  prevent  this  obnoxious 
habit  —  or  buy  an  automobile.  "  Back !  "  may  be 
included  as  a  third  order,  perhaps,  though  by 
no  means  as  necessary  as  the  other  two,  and,  given 
an  animal  who  instantly  obeys  all  three  commands, 


Equine  Education  67 

one  is  well  equipped  to  enjoy  all  the  pleasures  to 
be  gained  from  horse-keeping,  and  that  in  absolute 
safety. 

Granted  the  perfect  acquirements  of  these  three 
accomplishments,  a  horse's  "  education  "  is  progress- 
ing, and  further  advance  is  always  easier,  because  the 
average  animal  acquires  facility  and  yields  more 
readily  as  the  hopelessness  of  resistance  is  impressed 
upon  him.  Intelligence  varies  vastly,  and  physical 
defects  enter  largely  into  the  matter  of  the  creature's 
obedience  or  resistance.  His  next  important  accom- 
plishment, and  one  of  his  most  valuable,  should  be 
to  walk  fast  and  well.  There  is  no  pace  so  essential, 
so  much  appreciated,  or  so  practically  useful  as  a 
fast,  fair,  square  walk;  and  there  is  nothing  that 
will  cause  an  animal  to  be  driven  so  hard,  or  kept 
so  continually  on  the  other  gaits,  as  a  deficiency  in 
this  respect.  Months  of  time  and  of  intelligent  and 
patient  effort  are  expended  to  make  the  creature  a 
fast  trotter,  a  high  stepper,  a  well-gaited  saddle- 
horse;  but  so  far  as  the  walk  goes,  he  is  generally 
put  upon  the  market  as  nature  made  him;  rolling 


68     Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

along  at  the  rate  his  ambition  dictates,  commended 
by  his  owner  as  a  wonder  if  he  happen  to  go  fast, 
and  sworn  at  and  overdriven  by  every  one  if  he 
chance  to  be  slow.  No  colt  should  ever  be  harnessed 
beside  other  than  a  quick,  free  mover;  and  every 
saddle-horse  should  be  ridden  as  persistently  and 
carefully  at  the  walk  as  at  any  pace  —  nor  is  any 
gait  more  susceptible  of  improvement,  if  requisite 
care  is  taken.  Breeders,  trainers,  and  owners  are 
wholly  to  blame  for  the  failure  of  their  charges  to 
attain  proficiency  at  this,  the  most  useful,  enjoyable, 
practical,  and  most  neglected  gait  the  horse  employs 
for  the  purposes  of  locomotion.  A  prompt  walker 
is  almost  invariably  a  free  roadster,  or  if  he  is  not, 
he  may  be  greatly  improved  by  common  sense 
methods. 

If  all  horses  were  generous,  and  if  one  could  only 
form  mutually  satisfactory  alliances  with  them,  their 
management  would  be  all  too  easy.  As  this  is  not 
the  case,  and  as  discipline  must  be  preserved  (and 
as  arguments  are  useless),  one  must  attain  one's  ends 
at  times  by  punishment;  always  requiting  proper 


Equine  Education  69 

performance  by  reward  and  caress  —  not  by  word. 
Punishment  when  inflicted  must  be  sharp  and  severe, 
—  it  is  the  truest  kindness,  —  but  the  utmost  care 
must  be  taken  that  it  is  administered  at  the  appro- 
priate time  and  in  the  proper  way,  and  the  recipient 
must  be  given  every  chance  to  understand  the  reason 
for  the  act.  Nine  horses  in  ten  are  punished  at  the 
wrong  time.  For  instance,  your  horse  shies  at  a 
heap  of  dirt.  Once  past  and  straightened  out,  you 
settle  yourself  again,  arrange  your  robe,  throw  away 
your  cigar,  reach  for  the  whip,  and  proceed  to 
administer  a  thrashing,  accompanied  by  sundry  jerks 
and  yanks  at  a  sensitive  mouth.  "  I'll  show  him!  " 
you  reply  to  your  protesting  better  half. 

And  that's  just  what  you  are  doing  —  showing 
him  that  somehow  dirt  piles  and  a  good  licking  are 
synonymous,  and  that,  to  escape  both,  he  had  better 
go  over  the  fence  when  he  meets  the  next  one  — 
which  he  proceeds  to  do  in  pursuit  of  the  lesson  you 
have  taught  him!  Remember  his  one-ideaed  mind. 
If  he  shies  again  —  or  at  all  —  firstly,  have  his  eyes 
examined ;  secondly,  familiarise  him  with  the  objects 


yo     Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

of  his  distrust  by  taking  him  repeatedly  and  regularly 
where  they  may  be  found  in  plenty ;  thirdly,  try  to 
get  his  attention  —  his  one  idea  —  on  other  things, 
by  shifting  his  bit,  and  puzzling  him  as  to  what  you 
expect  him  to  do  (poor  brute,  how  often  he  must 
ponder  that),  and  if  all  means  fail,  and  he  still 
retains  fear  of  any  special  thing,  be  sure  that  in 
some  previous  ownership  that  object  is  associated 
in  his  mind  with  either  cruel  punishment  or  serious 
accident  and  injury.  Punishment  is  too  often  a 
result  of  man's  impatience;  but  that  individual  who 
cannot  patiently  bear  with  the  shortcomings  of  a 
defenceless  creature  had  best  betake  himself  to 
dressing  paper  dolls  for  his  amusement.  Be  sure 
that  you  have  given  your  pupil  every  opportunity  to 
grasp  your  meaning,  and  then,  if  he  will  not  obey, 
he  must  be  made;  and  severe  correction,  which 
ceases  and  is  followed  by  caresses  when  obedience 
is  yielded,  will  prove  the  only  satisfactory  method 
of  progressing.  Constant  and  tiresome  repetition 
taught  you  your  multiplication  table  —  there  is  no 


Equine  Education  71 

other  way  to  teach  the  brute  than  that  found  effective 
with  the  human. 

Indiscriminate  caressing  is  almost  as  bad  as  none 
at  all.  If  your  son  has  passed  his  geography  exami- 
nations, do  you  reward  your  daughter?  If  your 
horse  performs  some  task  in  which  his  hind  quarters 
have  been  the  chief  agents  employed,  do  not  pat  his 
neck;  should  he  yield  his  neck  and  jaws  to  your 
attempt  at  "  mouthing  "  him,  do  not  caress  his  ribs 
—  and,  above  all,  do  not  think  that  this  is  far- 
fetched, for  it  is  the  gist  of  the  whole  business. 
Punish  and  reward  the  part  you  are  attempting  to 
"  educate."  As  that  old  book  on  equestrianism  says : 
"  If  your  beaste  disobeyeth  alrayte  him  with  a  loude 
voyce;  and  beat  him  terribly  about  the  eares." 
Leaving  out  the  voice,  there  is  good  sense  in  that; 
and  soundly  cuffed  or  switched  ears  are,  in  cases  of 
mutiny,  very  productive  of  good,  as  is  the  caress  to 
the  same  part,  —  the  brain,  —  when  the  animal  has 
apparently  grasped  a  new  idea.  The  strength  and 
sense  of  the  Baucher  system  is  that  it  attacks  directly 
the  member  it  would  educate,  and  rewards  as  it 


72     Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

coerces.  Next  time  your  hunter  just  clears  some 
big  place,  lean  back,  and  clap  those  muscular  quarters 
that  have  so  ably  done  the  trick,  and  do  it  at  once. 
Be  sure  your  good  horse  understands. 

As  you  caress  with  the  hand  the  external,  so 
reward  with  sugar,  carrots,  apples,  etc.,  the  internal 
horse ;  and  here  as  everywhere,  "  he  gives  twice 
who  gives  quickly."  If  you  really  care  for  animals, 
—  and  the  writer  is  not  attempting  to  convince  those 
who  do  not  and  can  not,  —  you  will  always  be  pro- 
vided with  some  titbit  when  associating  with  them, 
and  even  as  the  old  cook  found  her  way  into  your 
boyish  affections  via  the  cake-and-cooky  route,  so 
your  charger  will  appreciate  you  in  proportion  as 
you  "  tip  "  him  with  delicate  morsels  (as  he,  how- 
ever, will  any  one  else  who  does  the  same). 

While  every  horse,  from  the  day  he  is  halter 
"  broken  "  at  a  few  weeks  old,  should  be  carefully 
and  progressively  "  educated  "  and  promoted  as  he 
learns,  he  must  be  thoroughly  imbued  with  the  idea 
that  he  is  powerless  to  resist,  or,  rather,  the  habit 
of  non-resistance  must  be  confirmed.  As  early  as 


Equine  Education  73 

possible  this  fact  must  be  brought  to  his  attention, 
or  his  one  successful  effort  at  insubordination  may 
recur  to  him  at  any  moment.  There  is  no  horse  so 
genuinely  dangerous  as  the  one  who  (probably  of 
lethargic  temperament)  has  been  brought  up  by 
some  old  farmer,  who  has,  through  his  slow  and 
gradual  processes,  probably  never  fought  a  pitched 
battle  with  the  pupil  —  and  conquered.  Such  an 
animal's  docility  is  but  a  thin  veneer  which  may  crack 
at  any  moment,  and  when  it  does,  look  out!  He 
never  has  been  mastered,  —  as  boy  or  colt  we  must 
all  have  been  (once  at  least)  if  we  are  dependable 
now,  —  and  any  occurrence  outside  the  usual  routine 
may  cause  serious  and  immediate  disaster.  Assert 
yourself  at  all  stages,  and  if  a  quarrel  does  not  brew 
naturally,  why,  pick  one  —  but  only  when  you  are 
sure  you  can  win. 

Further  education  proceeds  upon  the  same  princi- 
ples exactly,  and  advances  depend  upon  what  you 
personally  want  and  how  you  want  it  done.  If 
you  wish  your  saddle-horse  to  go  through  'his  paces 
by  employing  exactly  wrong  aids  and  indications 


74     Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

of  your  wishes,  you  can  teach  him,  and  that  this 
is  very  easy  is  proved  by  the  fact  that  ninety  per 
cent,  of  us  use  wrong  indications  anyhow.  If  you 
wish  your  steed  to  drive  without  reins,  and  to  "  gee  " 
and  "  haw  "  like  Job's  off-ox,  you  may  gratify  your 
desire.  One  often  thinks  of  the  confusion  that  must 
reign  in  the  brain  of  a  horse  fresh  from  the  country, 
which  is  put  into  heavy  harness  for  the  first  few 
times.  He  has  always  been  taught  that  he  was  to 
hold  his  wagon  back  by  his  haunches.  Now,  to 
his  amazement,  he  finds  no  breeching  provided,  but 
learns  that  he  must  perform  that  office  by  the  root 
of  his  tail  and  the  belly-band  buckled  tightly  around 
his  body ;  hitherto  a  check  has  meant,  "  hold  your 
neck  straight  up  and  your  nose  out  " ;  now  it  forces 
him  to  arch  the  one  and  depress  the  other;  a  pull 
upon  his  jointed  snaffle-bit  has  always  stood  for  a 
turn  either  way,  but  now  this  straight  and  solid 
arrangement,  which  pull*  down  on  one  side  of  the 
lower  jaw,  presses  up  on  the  upper  and  opposite  sur- 
face; while  the  chin-strap,  which  used  to  mean 


Equine  Education  75 

"  hold  up  "  in  the  overdraw  check  days,  now  means 
(when  shifted  to  the  curb-chain)  "  hold  down." 
Can  you  wonder  that  so  many  "  green  "  horses  balk, 
kick,  rear,  and  throw  themselves  in  their  bewilder- 
ment ? 

It  is  impossible,  of  course,  within  the  limits  of 
a  book,  to  give  ways  and  means,  methods  and  man- 
ners, of  "  educating  "  the  horse  to  perform  sedately 
all  the  offices  which  we  require  of  him,  but  the  funda- 
mental rules  are  invariably  the  same,  and  their 
results  are,  if  intelligently  applied,  universally  sat- 
isfactory. A  certain  amount  of  "  horse  sense  "  is 
required,  and  ordinary  nerve  and  temper;  that  is 
all,  and  every  horse  which  successfully  performs  on 
track  or  circus  ring,  park,  road,  or  riding  school, 
has  learned  his  lesson  on  these  general  lines  of  in- 
struction, which  might  have  been  acquired  so  much 
more  quickly,  painlessly,  and  pleasantly,  had  reward 
always  been  intelligible,  caress  appropriate,  and 
punishment  as  rare,  as  prompt  and  severe  upon  occa- 
sions. Sentiment  and  theory  are  slender  supports  in 


76     Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

such  matters,  and  as  you  love  and  care  for  all  dumb 
animals,  so  see  that  in  their  sphere  of  action  they, 
perform  their  tasks  as  you,  their  master,  direct, 
promoting  thus  their  truest  happiness  and  best  wel- 
fare. 


CHAPTER   III. 
Vice  and  Its  Correction 

NO  sane  horse  was  ever  born  vicious.  Such 
characteristics  are  invariably  the  result  of 
imperfect  attempts  by  man  at  coercion  and  educa- 
tion. All  the  animal's  natural  characteristics  and 
temperament  are  foreign  to  active  aggression  of 
any  sort ;  nor  does  the  fact  that  the  wild  horse  or  the 
unhandled  colt  will  bite,  kick,  or  strike  when  cor- 
nered, prove  to  the  contrary.  All  his  instincts  are 
for  flight,  and  given  the  opportunity  to  exercise  this 
proclivity,  he  will  always  avail  himself  of  such 
means  of  escape. 

The  occasional  saucy  colt,  which  lays  back  its 
ears  and  runs  at  its  care-taker  or  any  stranger,  is 
not  vicious,  but  only  exercising,  rather  in  a  spirit 
of  play,  that  bullying  propensity  which  is,  in  some 
form,  noticeable  in  all  horses.  Undue  familiarity 

77 


78     Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

breeds  contempt  in  animals  as  in  any  other  depend- 
ents, and  must  be  as  promptly  checked  in  the  one 
as  in  the  other  case.  Otherwise  this  playfulness  may, 
in  the  case  of  the  animal,  lead  him  to  presume  too 
much  upon  good  nature,  and  the  jest  may  in  unex- 
pected fashion  turn  to  earnest.  Quiet  firmness  works 
prompt  reform,  however,  and  there  is  no  fear  of 
incorrigibility  resulting  if  the  animal  is  handled  with 
ordinary  judiciousness.  Once  in  awhile  a  horse 
becomes  thoroughly  savage,  or  unmanageable  in 
other  directions,  but  if  so,  the  poor  brute  is  insane  in 
some  way,  and  not  responsible  for  his  actions.  Stal- 
lions, through  the  utterly  erroneous  idea  that  they 
must  not  be  used  and  handled  as  other  horses,  are 
not  infrequently  set  down  as  vicious  and  dangerous. 
Plenty  of  work,  fearless  handling,  and  a  stable  en- 
vironment which  ensures  sociability  and  companion- 
ship with  their  kind,  soon  reform  all  but  the  most 
hardened  offenders  —  which  could  never  have  been 
classed  as  such  had  the  most  ordinary  intelligence 
been  used  in  their  bringing  up.  The  solitary  and 
monotonous  confinement  of  a  box  stall,  tightly 


Photographs  by  T.  E.  Murr,  Boston. 

Two  PEERLESS  ANIMALS. 

i.  BORALMA,  the  great  trotter.  —  2.  DARE  DEVIL,  the  great  stallion. 
Both  owned  by  Thomas  W.  Lawson. 


Vice  and  Its  Correction  79 

boarded  up  on  all  sides,  will  suffice  to  render  any 
horse  melancholy,  morose,  and  finally  treacherous. 
Such  living  places  are  the  refinement  of  cruelty,  nor 
is  there  any  possible  excuse  or  reason  for  such  isola- 
tion. A  horse  is  what  you  make  of  him,  —  he  is  as 
plastic  as  clay,  —  and  if  you  treat  a  stallion  like 
others  of  his  kind  he  will  act  like  them.  The 
screaming,  yelling,  plunging  brute  is  a  living  re- 
proach to  and  criticism  upon  his  owner's  methods. 
Success  in  correcting  bad,  and  preventing  vicious, 
habits  must  prove  proportionate  to  the  ability  of 
trainers  to  proceed  along  the  lines  indicated  by  the 
horse's  limitations,  and  possible  to  his  intelligence. 
Such  conditions  must  be  combated  and  overcome  by 
addressing  the  understanding  without  needlessly 
awakening  fear,  or  permitting  successful  resistance. 
It  must  always  be  recognised  that,  as  the  horse  is 
much  stronger  than  man,  although  ignorant  of  it,  all 
efforts  must  be  made  to  blind  him  to  the  fact,  and  to 
deceive  him  as  to  his  own  powers;  suffering  him, 
when  practicable,  to  proceed  in  his  rebellion,  but  only 
in  a  manner  that  will  lead  to  his  final  defeat  and 


8o     Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

submission,  such  demonstration  being  by  far  the 
most  convincing  to  him  and  satisfactory  in  result. 

The  horse's  methods  of  reasoning  (in  such  crude 
fashion  as  he  performs  that  mental  process)  are 
limited  entirely  by  the  experiences  of  his  senses,  — 
sight,  hearing,  smell,  and  touch,  —  and  he  must  be 
convinced  through  these  organs  that  alarming  con- 
tacts, sights,  and  sounds  are  harmless.  Not  under- 
standing words  or  language,  it  is  to  these  senses  that 
we  must  address  our  efforts.  For  this  reason,  con- 
fusion, excitement,  or  terror  are  to  be  carefully 
avoided,  as  greatly  complicating  matters:  and, 
while  any  of  these  mental  conditions  is  in  the  ascend- 
ant, progress  must  be  quite  impossible. 

Many  animals  are  not  intrinsically  worth  the  time 
and  patience  required  to  correct  the  bad  habits  or 
vices  which  they  have  acquired,  nor  indeed  is  it 
well  for  the  layman  to  attempt  to  handle  any  really 
determined  offender  in  the  way  of  savagery,  or  of 
running  away,  kicking,  etc.  If  of  ordinary  activity 
and  courage,  however,  no  one  need  fear  to  attempt 
even  serious  cases  if  he  will  be  careful  never  to 


Vice  and  Its  Correction  8 1 

endanger  the  lives  of  others,  and  always  to  proceed 
along  reasonable  lines.  There  is  nothing  more  ex- 
hilarating than  the  consciousness  of  having  thor- 
oughly and  permanently  subdued  such  a  recalcitrant, 
and  never  does  man  more  keenly  appreciate  the 
advantages  of  his  superior  intelligence.  "  Make 
haste  slowly  "  must  ever  be  the  motto  at  this  task, 
and  every  opportunity  must  be  afforded  the  subject 
to  realise  his  helplessness  and  the  reasons  for  it,  as 
well  as  to  recognise  the  contriver  of  it. 

As  argued  in  previous  chapters,  the  horse  is  not 
to  be  spoken  to  while  in  process  of  handling,  save 
in  one  instance  possibly,  and  that  is  when  about  to 
enter  a  single  stall.  At  this  time  it  is  best  to  attract 
the  animal's  attention  before  doing  so,  but  a  cough 
or  any  signal  that  will  prevent  his  being  startled  by 
you  is  sufficient.  Especially  is  this  advisable  if  the 
horse  is  feeding,  since  many  otherwise  even-tempered 
animals  resent  being  disturbed  at  their  meals. 

Punishment  must  occasionally  be  administered, 
and  if  you  are  calm  and  convinced  (by  reasons  that 


82     Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

thoroughly  satisfy  yourself)  that  it  is  needful,  apply 
it  severely  —  it  is  the  truest  kindness. 

The  principal  aids  to  conquering  the  vicious  and 
controlling  the  unruly  are  the  "  war-bridle,"  the  side 
line,  the  trip  line,  and  the  kicking-strap.  These  are 
all  thoroughly  practical,  and  when  properly  applied 
most  effective.  The  "  war-bridle  "  consists  simply 
of  a  piece  of  cord,  a  size  larger  than  clothes-line, 
and  from  about  ten  feet  long  upward.  A  hard  knot 
is  made  in  one  end;  another  running  knot  just  far 
enough  away  to  encircle  closely  the  lower  jaw; 
thence  carry  cord  over  the  head,  close  behind  the 
ears  from  off  side  up,  and  down  nigh  side;  under 
upper  lip  and  over  teeth  on  gums ;  over  head  again 
and  through  jaw  loop.  This  is  for  controlling  any 
horse,  and  when  jerked  sharply  is  very  severe. 
Another  mode  of  arrangement,  used  on  runaways, 
etc.,  and  carried  back  to  the  carriage  like  a  rein 
(although  this  should  always  lead  from  the  off  or 
right-hand  side  of  the  mouth  in  order  to  pull  the 
animal  toward  the  roadside  and  not  into  passing 
vehicles),  is  to  put  the  loop  as  described  around  the 


i.  WAR-BRIDLE.  —  2.  TRIP-LINE. 


Vice  and  Its  Correction  83 

neck  at  throttle,  double  the  cord;  run  the  loop 
(from  the  off  side)  one  part  through  mouth  and  the 
other  between  the  upper  lip  and  upper  teeth;  bring 
the  slack  up  off  side,  over  head  behind  ears,  down 
nigh  side,  through  loop  at  lip,  and  back  to  the  wagon. 
Few  horses  will  attempt  to  get  away  with  this  rig- 
ging applied,  and  will  not  go  far  if  they  do. 

The  "  trip  line,"  affixed  to  front  pastern,  thence 
running  through  a  ring  on  shaft  or  girth  to  the 
trainer's  hands,  is  useful,  but  may  throw  a  horse 
and  blemish  his  knees,  if  on  hard  ground.  This 
arrangement  may  include  both  front  pasterns  if 
desired. 

The  "  side  line  "  is  valuable  in  teaching  a  horse 
to  stand  still,  etc.,  while,  or  until,  harnessed,  and 
is  simply  a  rather  large  rope,  one  end  made  into  a 
loop  large  enough  to  encircle  the  horse's  neck  like 
a  collar,  and  with  enough  extra  length  to  form 
another  loop  large  enough  for  him  to  step  a  hind  foot 
in.  When  he  does  this,  pull  up  the  slack,  so  that 
the  foot  is  drawn  forward  and  upward  about  six 
inches  from  the  ground,  and  tie  in  the  neck-loop 


84     Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

in  a  slip  knot  which  a  pull  will  release.  A  fairly 
large  rope  will  not  cut  nor  chafe  the  ankle,  and  the 
horse  is  quite  helpless  to  resist  handling  while  thus 
hampered. 

To  start  a  balking  horse,  distract,  by  any  means, 
his  attention  from  his  one  idea  of  standing  still. 
Frequently,  the  most  irrelevant  actions  will  bring  this 
about.  Bending  the  ear  or  ears  down  under  the 
head-stall,  raising  or  lowering  the  bit  in  his  mouth, 
altering  any  of  the  girths  or  straps,  placing  a  little 
sand  or  dirt  in  the  mouth,  pushing  him  a  few  steps 
to  the  right  and  then  back  again  to  the  left,  —  any 
novelty  that  will  change  the  current  of  his  thought. 
The  "  war-bridle  "  will  cure  him,  and  should  be  put 
on  under  his  harness  bridle.  Jerk  him  sharply  with 
the  cord,  never  straight  ahead,  but  always  laterally. 
Do  not  look  him  in  the  eye,  as  that  sometimes  seri- 
ously disconcerts  him.  Give  him  time  to  think  it 
over  between  each  jerk.  Leave  the  cord  on  him 
for  a  few  days  thereafter  when  driving  him,  as  a 
reminder  of  what  he  may  expect  if  he  rebels.  If 


Vice  and  Its  Correction  85 

he  gets  sullen  and  throws  himself,  tie  all  his  feet 
together  and  leave  him  there  for  an  hour  or  two. 

If  a  horse  rears  in  harness,  put  him  in  a  strong 
cart,  and  run  a  cord  under  him  from  shaft  to  shaft 
at  the  stifles.  When  he  rears  he  punishes  himself. 

If  a  horse  is  a  runaway,  shoot  him,  or  sell  him 
to  some  one  (with  a  full  knowledge  of  his  failing) 
who  will  put  him  at  such  drudgery  that  he  cannot 
indulge  his  freak.  Panic  may  occur  at  any  moment 
—  the  cowardly  and  the  foolish  elements  in  his 
make-up  ensure  that  —  and  his  one  idea  makes  him 
go  blindly  on,  over,  or  through  anything. 

The  "  Kentucky  "  kicking-strap  is  the  only  form 
which  is  absolutely  certain  to  prevent  kicking. 
This  is  a  strap  or  rope  which  goes  from  before  the 
tug  on  the  shaft  of  one  side  to  the  cross-bar  on  the 
shafts  at  the  other,  and  crossing  its  companion  piece 
half-way  between  the  croup  and  the  root  of  the  tail. 
Or  the  check-rein  may  be  continued  back  to  the 
croup,  where  it  divides,  and  continues  down  each 
hindquarter  to  the  shaft.  Thus  when  the  animal 


86     Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

kicks  he  throws  his  own  head  up.  A  strap  is  also 
used  in  double  harness,  but  it  is  of  little  value.  A 
back  strap  that  is  too  short,  or  a  saddle  that  is  too 
narrow  may  make  any  horse  kick,  but  this  he  ceases 
when  relieved  of  his  discomfort,  and  he  is  not  to  be 
condemned  for  the  action.  Nothing  but  a  strap  will 
absolutely  and  certainly  cure  this  vice.  Lots  of 
hard  work  will  usually  prevent  it. 

If  horses  kick  the  stall  partitions  at  night,  they 
are  afraid  of  the  dark,  and  a  light  left  in  the  stable 
is  a  sure  preventative. 

An  animal  who  kicks  at  people  in  the  stable 
should  be  kept  in  a  box  stall,  and  "  whip-broken  " 
always  to  face  instantly  any  one  who  enters.  To  do 
this  with  a  stout -whip  cut  him  about  the  hind  legs 
until  he  faces  you  —  when  stop  and  caress  him. 
Repeat  until  he  always  faces  you  promptly.  If  he 
must  be  kept  in  a  single  stall,  arrange  his  halter 
with  two  ropes,  one  tying  on  the  heel-post,  the  other 
running  through  the  ring  in  the  manger,  and  then 
back  to  the  same  place.  Tie  both  to  the  post,  and 
get  him  out  by  casting  both  off  and  hauling  on  the 


Vice  and  Its  Correction  87 

former,  reversing  the  process  to  return  him  to  his 
place. 

A  biter  should  wear  a  rather  close-fitting,  bottom- 
less solid  leather  muzzle,  which  hangs  well  below  his 
lips.  He  can  eat  with  this  on,  but  cannot  grab  at 
you  sideways  before  you  can  get  hold  of  his  halter. 

A  strong  and  short  standing  martingale  will  keep 
a  rearer  on  all  fours. 

Horses  which  shy  persistently  generally  have 
defective  vision,  and  should  never  be  punished,  but 
every  effort  made  to  encourage  them,  and  create  con- 
fidence, alarming  objects  being  passed,  when  possi- 
ble, at  a  distance. 

The  treatment  of  hard  pullers,  etc.,  depends 
entirely  upon  individual  conformation,  character- 
istics, etc.,  and  no  rules  can  be  laid  down  which 
\vill  succeed  in  every  case.  They  are  all  made  by 
man's  folly  and  wilfulness,  and  not  by  Nature's 
errors.  If  a  horse's  teeth  are  all  right,  his  balance 
good,  his  neck  not  too  thick  and  straight,  nor  his 
jaws  too  narrow,  and  he  still  pulls,  then  he  has  been 


88     Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

taught  to  do  so,  and  his  education  in  that  respect 
must  be  gradually  overthrown. 

If  a  horse  breaks  his  halter  rope,  and  pulls  back 
when  tied,  double  a  stout  rope,  place  it  round  his 
body  in  a  noose  just  over  his  back  ribs;  run  the 
ends  forward  between  the  fore  legs,  through  the 
head-stall  ring,  and  tie  to  the  manger.  When  he 
pulls  back  at  this  a  few  times,  he  will  stand  tied  with 
a  thread ;  or  the  rope  may  be  passed  under  the  tail 
as  a  crupper  and  then  forward;  or  the  halter  rope 
may  be  run  through  the  manger-ring  and  tied  to  a 
front  ankle. 

Cribbing  is  prevented  by  arranging  the  feed-boxes 
as  recommended  in  chapter  on  stabling,  or  a  strap 
may  be  worn  round  the  throat. 

Other  vices  and  tricks  are  occasionally  met  with, 
but  nearly  all  may  be  combated  successfully  by 
patience  and  common  sense,  bearing  in  mind  the 
characteristics  of  the  animal.  Readers  should  not 
imagine  that  the  writer  is  an  advocate  of  roughness 
and  abuse,  for  such  is  not  the  case,  but  they  should 
thoroughly  comprehend  the  natural  and  sharply 


Vice  and  Its  Correction  89 

defined  limitations  of  the  horse,  and  understand  that 
"  man's  noblest  friend  "  is  no  more  to  be  implicitly 
trusted  than  the  average  acquaintance;  that  his 
intelligence  and  generosity  have  their  narrow  boun- 
daries; that  an  animal  is  anxious  to  please  you  in 
proportion  as  he  realises  that  you  are  his  master; 
and  that  as  you  cannot  overmatch  him  in  physical 
strength,  your  safeguard  is  the  subterfuge  and  de- 
ception which  you  would  resent  in  him,  —  the  less 
noble  animal. 


CHAPTER   IV. 
Tricks,  Etc.,  Taught  by  Kindness 

SOME  people  find  amusement  in  teaching  tricks 
to  their  horses  and  other  animals,  and  there 
are  certain  little  performances  which  they  may 
learn  without  the  application  of  punishment.  That 
these  accomplishments  will  be  perfect,  or  that  they 
will  be  promptly  performed  is  unlikely,  because  — 
alack  for  tradition !  —  no  dumb  animal  is  taught 
such  things  except  by  punishment,  or  through  the 
impression  produced  by  hunger.  The  horse  is 
neither  susceptible  to  flattery,  nor  receptive  of  new 
ideas;  having,  unlike  the  dog,  but  little  reasoning 
power.  If  he  is  conciliated  too  much  in  these  under- 
takings, and  if  he  is  allowed  to  become  too  familiar 
with  man,  it  has  seemed  often  that  his  disposition 
to  take  matters  into  his  own  hands  is  strengthened, 


Tricks,   Etc.,  Taught  by  Kindness   91 

and  that  trouble  is  invited  which  might  easily  be 
avoided. 

Horses  are  made  to  perform  tricks  by  being 
hampered  in  various  ways ;  by  instant  and  condign 
punishment  for  failure  or  inattention ;  and  by  caress 
and  reward  for  proper  performance.  Too  often  the 
most  summary  methods  are  used.  Thus  a  horse  is 
taught  he  must  not  cross  the  low  boundary  of  the 
circus-ring,  by  stationing  around  it  men  armed  with 
heavy  whips,  who  thrash  him  unmercifully  at  every 
attempt  to  leave  it.  His  one-ideaed  mind  acquires 
the  impression  that  he  cannot  go  out  until  the  barrier 
is  removed,  and  he,  imagining  finally  that  he  cannot 
escape,  will  remain  in  that  eighteen-inch  enclosure 
to  be  beaten  to  death  by  his  trainer  if  he  elect. 

Horses  vary  greatly  in  their  ability  to  learn,  and 
one  can  never  tell  whether  or  not  they  will  "catch 
the  idea  "  until  trial  proves.  Some  most  intelligent 
and  beautiful  creatures  are  hopelessly  awkward; 
again  a  homely  old  mongrel  will  pick  up  his  signals, 
etc.,  in  wonderful  fashion,  and  prove  as  agile  as  a 
goat.  If  adaptable,  every  one  has  a  predilection 


92     Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

for  certain  styles  of  performance,  and  it  is  the  part 
of  the  trainer  to  distinguish  this  quickly  and  cor- 
rectly, and  not  to  waste  time  over  pupils  which  can 
but  prove  failures;  nor  try  to  teach  a  horse  to 
waltz,  etc.,  which  cannot  manage  that,  but  could 
prove  adept  at  some  of  the  other  branches.  Thor- 
oughbred horses  are  generally  worthless  for  these 
purposes,  —  they  are  too  headstrong,  nervous,  and 
impatient. 

Some  of  the  performances  described  here  are 
valuable  acquisitions  for  any  horse ;  others  are  mere 
tricks  intended  only  to  amuse.  It  should  be  borne  in 
mind  that  each  feat  learned  makes  further  advance 
more  easily  possible,  and  increases  the  general  adapt- 
ability. 

To  teach  a  saddle-horse  to  stand  still  anywhere,  if 
the  reins  are  thrown  over  his  head,  put  a  bridle  on 
him  with  a  severe  bit,  turn  him  loose  in  a  yard  or 
box  stall,  and  leave  the  reins  to  trail.  He  will 
step  on  them,  throw  up  his  head,  hurt  his  mouth,  and 
finally  get  the  idea  that  standing  still  when  the  reins 
trail  insures  freedom  from  pain. 


Tricks,  Etc.,  Taught  by  Kindness   93 

To  make  your  horse  stay  with  you  if  you  fall  off, 
practise  slipping  off  (in  field  or  yard)  and  holding 
a  long  rein  or  rope  attached  to  a  sharp  bit.  As  he 
runs  away  he  will  check  on  this,  and,  finding  that 
he  is  free  from  pain  if  he  remains  close  to  you, 
will  finally  stop  instantly,  should  you  fall,  and  stand 
still. 

To  make  a  horse  stop  and  stand  still  at  the  word 
'•'  Whoa,"  see  chapter  on  training  colts. 

To  make  an  animal  back  freely  and  quickly,  see 
same  chapter. 

To  cause  him  to  guide  by  the  neck,  cross  the 
curb  reins  under  his  chin,  and  bring  them  to  your 
(one)  hand  —  the  bridoon  (or  snaffle  reins)  being 
as  usual.  As  you  turn  him,  carry  your  hand  across 
his  neck  in  the  direction  you  would  go;  he  will 
quickly  associate  the  pressure  of  the  rein  upon  the 
left  side  of  the  neck  with  the  pull  upon  the  right 
side  of  the  mouth,  and  will  turn  to  the  right  or  left 
finally  by  the  pressure  on  the  neck  of  the  rein  alone. 
The  sway  of  the  body  to  the  right  or  left,  the  applica- 
tion of  the  right  or  left  leg  (or  the  lady's  whip) 


94     Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

behind  the  girths,  the  directing  of  the  animal  in 
turning  into  appropriate  corners  (that  he  may  see 
and  distinguish  reasons  for  his  compliance),  all 
greatly  assist  acquirement. 

To  teach  to  "  shake  hands,"  tap  the  right  fore  leg 
lightly  with  a  switch  until  he  starts  to  paw,  at 
the  same  time  saying  "  Shake  hands."  When  he 
raises  the  leg  to  paw,  seize  it  and  move  it  up  and 
down  —  he  will  quickly  get  the  idea. 

To  teach  him  to  say  "  yes  "  or  "  no  "  always  use 
some  special  gesture,  tone,  and  phrase;  the  gesture 
is  the  important  feature,  and  is  what  he  looks  for. 
Thus,  with  a  feather  tickle  the  ear,  saying,  "  Are 
you  a  Democrat?"  or  any  such  catch  phrase.  He 
will  toss  and  shake  his  head,  and  if  rewarded  and 
regularly  rehearsed  will  shortly  act  upon  the  word, 
and  be  emphatic,  if  you  move  your  hand  as  if  the 
annoying  feather  were  there.  To  make  him  say 
"  yes,"  with  the  feather  tickle  his  nose.  He  will  toss 
his  head  back  and  forth  at  the  proper  order;  or 
if  he  be  pricked  with  a  pin  (very  lightly)  upon  the 
top  of  the  head,  the  same  effect  will  be  produced. 


Two  POPULAR  TRICKS. 
I.  Shaking  hands.  —  2.  Walking  on  two  feet. 


Tricks,  Etc.,  Taught  by  Kindness   95 

Lying  down  is  taught  very  easily.  Put  a  plain 
snaffle  bridle  on  the  horse,  and  a  rope  or  strap  on  his 
off  fetlock,  running  thence  up  over  his  shoulder  and 
withers  to  your  hand  (armed  with  heavy  glove). 
You  stand  on  his  left  side,  your  right  shoulder 
against  his  left.  Now  pull  up  his  fore  foot  by  draw- 
ing on  the  rope  over  his  withers;  pulling  (by  your 
left  hand  on  the  bit)  his  head  and  neck  round  to 
your  body  (i.  e.  so  that  it  curves  round  you),  and 
saying,  "  Lie  down."  He  must  go  down  first  on 
his  knees,  then  on  his  side.  Never  hurry  him,  and 
be  sure  you  are  fit  yourself,  for  he  must  go  down 
the  first  time,  or  he  will  get  the  idea  he  need  not  — 
and  always  afterward  resist.  Soon  the  mere  picking 
up  the  foot  and  the  order  will  ensure  his  obeying  — 
especially  if  he  is  allowed  to  roll  when  down,  for 
all  horses  greatly  fancy  this  privilege. 

To  teach  him  to  kneel,  strap  up  one  leg  (he  must 
be  on  deep  straw,  earth,  or  soft  grass),  and  tap  the 
other  leg  until  he  goes  down.  He  will  plunge  up 
for  a  few  times,  but  finally  through  fatigue  remain 
kneeling,  when  reward  him  freely.  He  will  finally 


96    Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

kneel  as  soon  as  you  touch  the  legs  or  point  the 
whip  at  them,  the  order  "  Kneel  down  "  being  of 
course  given  always  and  distinctly. 

Learning  to  march  is  easily  taught.  Equipped 
with  a  double-bridle,  the  animal  is  placed  against  a 
wall  or  fence,  so  that  his  direction  may  be  main- 
tained by  his  progress  along  it.  The  lower  leg  is 
then  tapped  with  the  whip  until  the  animal  paws  — 
and  when  he  will  do  this  freely  (at  a  touch,  or  when 
the  whip  is  pointed)  he  is  urged  on,  when  the  leg 
is  raised,  by  the  left  hand,  which  holds  the  bridle 
(close  to  the  mouth) .  He  will  have  to  take  a  sort  of 
step  in  order  to  maintain  his  balance,  and  puts  the 
foot  down  slightly  before  the  other.  Repeat  this 
until  he  will  walk  forward,  and,  as  he  does  so, 
raises  his  foot  high,  and  throws  it  forward,  before 
putting  it  down.  When  he  will  properly  take,  say, 
twenty  steps  in  this  way,  begin  in  the  same  manner 
with  the  other  leg;  when  perfect  with  each,  work 
him  with  both,  alternate  taps  (and  finally  point- 
ing) being  his  signals  to  step  high.  To  have  him 
march  when  carrying  a  rider,  put  some  one  on 


Tricks,  Etc.,  Taught  by  Kindness   97 

him  who  will,  with  his  toe,  touch  the  proper  elbow 
as  you  signal  (on  foot)  with  the  whip.  The  horse 
will  finally  accept  this  transfer  of  signals,  and  obey 
them  so  that  none  at  all  are  noticeable.  Of  course 
in  the  true  "  high  school  "  systems  these  proceedings 
are  much  more  complicated  and  finer  in  every  way, 
but  this  method  ensures  the  same  result  in  a  manner 
that  any  one  can  easily  compel. 

To  make  a  horse  stand  still  and  pirouette  around 
one  leg  (which  remains  motionless,  or  in  some 
cases  twists,  without  lifting,  slowly  round  after  the 
other  leg  has  wrapped  round  it),  one  leg  must  be 
strapped  up,  and  the  horse  taught  to  use  the  other 
as  a  pivot  round  which  his  hind  quarters  turn  by 
slow  and  deliberate  steps.  When  he  will  turn  freely 
either  way  and  has  gained  the  necessary  balance, 
let  his  leg  down,  but  hold  the  strap  (still  attached 
to  his  fetlock)  in  your  hand.  Go  very  slowly,  and 
be  satisfied  with  very  little  progress.  Pirouette  him 
repeatedly,  and  if  he  tries  to  step  away  or  to  move 
the  pivot  foot,  pull  the  other  foot  up,  and  begin  all 


98     Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

over  again.  He  will  finally  twist  his  forelegs  into 
a  curl,  and  turn  completely  round  the  pivot  foot. 

To  teach  a  horse  to  bring  things  —  anything 
portable  —  take  him  into  a  small  yard,  or  box,  and 
throw  bits  of  carrot,  one  at  a  time,  where  he  can 
plainly  see,  and  can  get  them.  He  should  be  hungry 
at  the  time.  Always  use  some  word,  as  "  Fetch," 
and  invariably  the  same.  When  he  understands 
that  he  is  to  go  and  get  the  carrot,  attach  a  rag  or 
bit  of  wood  to  the  pieces,  and  as  he  picks  up  the 
article  (or  the  carrot)  slip  another  bit  of  root  into 
his  mouth,  and  take  from  him  the  object  thrown. 
Finally  you  may  throw  the  article  alone,  and  he  will 
get  and  bring  it  to  you  for  the  caress  and  dainty  bit 
which  must  always  reward  his  performance. 

To  make  him  close  or  open  a  door,  tempt  him 
through  the  partly  open  door  with  carrots,  etc.,  until 
he  understands  that  he  must  push  the  obstacle  away 
from  him  to  get  the  root.  Always  say  "  Door,"  or 
"  Open,"  or  "  Close,"  and  shortly  he  will  obey  the 
command  readily. 

To  untie  a  handkerchief  from  any  leg  (the  hand- 


Tricks,  Etc.,  Taught  by  Kindness   99 

kerchief  being  tied  in  a  single  knot  and  the  ends 
flaring  apart,  so  that  he  may  not  take  hold  of  both 
at  once)  have  it  soaked  in  sweetened  water,  and 
let  him  pull  it  from  your  hand,  always  slipping  a  bit 
of  sugar  or  carrot,  etc.,  into  his  mouth  (at  the  upper 
angle)  as  you  take  the  cloth  away  from  him.  Drop 
it  on  the  ground  and  let  him  take  it  up ;  tie  it  about 
any  leg  (always  letting  him  see  and  smell  it  first), 
and  finally  he  will  take  any  handkerchief,  etc.,  from 
any  leg  for  the  reward  that  is  to  follow,  or  will  fetch 
it,  or  will  open  a  closet  door  with  his  nose  and  get 
the  rag,  or  perform  any  combination  of  these  tricks 
desired  —  even  bringing  his  own  harness  piece  by 
piece. 

To  teach  an  animal  to  tell  his  age,  prick  him 
lightly  with  a  pin  on  the  shoulder  or  arm  until  he 
makes  an  effort  to  paw,  when  stop,  and  caress  the 
part.  Finally,  at  a  motion  toward  the  leg,  he  will 
paw  the  ground.  You  have  of  course  to  bend 
your  body  when  doing  this,  and  by  repetition,  your 
taking  this  position  will  show  the  pupil  that  he 
is  to  paw  —  which  accordingly  he  will  do,  at  your 


IOO  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

assumption  of  the  posture,  until  you  straighten  up 
again  after  he  has  pawed  as  many  times  as  he  is 
years  old. 

Teaching  to  kiss  is  very  simple.  Stand  in  front  of 
the  animal,  and  let  him  take  a  bit  of  carrot  or  apple 
from  your  hand,  holding  it  near  your  mouth  and 
finally  between  your  lips.  Always  say  "  Kiss  me," 
as  you  rehearse  him,  and  finally  give  the  apple  only 
when  he  has  brought  his  mouth  to  yours. 

There  are  many  other  performances  teachable  by 
a  combination  of  reward  and  punishment,  and  in 
fact,  if  chastisement  for  inattention,  etc.,  is  absolutely 
interdicted,  there  remains  only  privation  from  food 
as  an  alternative  means  to  ensure  obedience,  i.e.  the 
animal  will  do  what  he  has  learnt  will  afford  him 
titbits,  etc.,  and  to  be  anxious  for  these  he  must  be 
hungry.  A  full  stomach  makes  an  indifferent  pupil, 
and  if  he  learns  that  he  may  do  as  he  likes,  he 
quickly  will.  If  it  is  difficult  to  "  bring  up  "  a  child 
properly  without  some  acceptable  method  of  disci- 
pline (even  advice  failing  its  due  effect),  how  really 
hopeless  it  is  to  expect  to  make  any  lasting  impres- 


Tricks,  Etc.,  Taught  by  Kindness   101 

sion  upon  the  intellect  of  a  dumb  animal,  unless  he 
learns  that  he  must  obey,  or  take  the  consequences. 
No  horse  submits  because  he  longs  to  do  so,  or  be- 
cause he  loves  you,  or  because  in  you  he  recognises 
his  own  master;  disabuse  your  mind  of  all  that  non- 
sense once  and  for  all.  Certain  performances,  as  cited, 
he  will  go  through,  but  generally,  if  kindness  must 
maintain,  at  his  own  time  and  in  his  own  way. 

A  few  simple  rules  must  be  carefully  learned,  and 
never  neglected,  if  we  are  to  make  headway  in  han- 
dling animals.  These  are  as  follows : 

(i)  Never  omit  instant  reward  and  caress,  since 
the  first  time  you  do,  you  will  create  a  doubt,  and  the 
one-ideaed  mind  may  develop  that  to  dominate  every- 
thing. (2)  Always  caress  the  brain,  the  seat  of 
intelligence,  and  then  the  member  with  which  the 
desired  act  has  been  performed,  or  the  required 
obedience  rendered. 

(3)  Never  hurry;  never  fatigue  the  wandering 
mind  and  flagging  interest;  frequent  and  short  les- 
sons and  constant  repetition  are  the  only  methods.  If 
attention  is  rigidly  paid  to  these  three  all-important 


IO2  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

and  vital  principles  you  may  carry  the  animal  as  far 
as  his  individual  intelligence  will  go,  remembering 
always  that  each  trick  learnt  renders  the  next  more 
easily  possible,  especially  through  the  fact  that  he 
understands  reward  will  be  prompt. 

Your  own  patience,  intelligence,  and  abilities  will 
develop  —  or  should  —  faster  than  one  would  believe 
possible.  Whenever  you  feel  nervous  or  irritable, 
however,  give  the  task  the  go-by  for  the  day,  and 
you  will  both  be  the  gainers;  but  otherwise  never 
omit,  if  you  expect  to  accomplish  anything,  at  least 
two  twenty  or  thirty  minute  rehearsals  daily. 


part  H1I1L 
Gboosing  anfc  1H0in$  Ifoorses 


part 
Cboosfng  ant)  Tlteing  Iborses 


CHAPTER    I. 
Horse  Buying  and  Horse  Trying 

WITH  our  first  rocking-horse  usually  comes 
the  wish  to  own  a  real  one;  and  by  the 
average  youth  and  man  the  day  when  he  can  set  up 
his  own  equipage  is  eagerly  longed  for,  marking  as  it 
does  for  him  his  first  foothold  upon  the  pavements 
of  "  Easy  Street " ;  his  first  visible  token  to  the 
world  that  he  is  prospering.  If  wisely  reared  he  will 
have  been  by  experience,  or  at  least  by  precept, 
prepared  for  the  taking  of  this  important  step ;  but 
if  the  opportunities  for  practice  have  been  scanty,  or 
lacking  entirely,  he  will  perforce  betake  himself  to 
friendly  council  before  the  matter  of  ways  and  means 

105 


io6  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

is  satisfactorily  adjusted.  Presumably  the  latter 
detail  is  inconsequent,  but  there  still  remains  the 
former,  and  many  a  man  has  paused  right  there,  and, 
hesitating,  failed  of  further  progress.  There  are 
always  ready  to  proffer  advice  the  critical  friends 
"  who  know  all  about  horses  "  ;  the  experienced 
avuncular  relative  who  has  bought  and  sold  every 
kind  of  steed  from  the  saw-horse  to  the  war-horse; 
cautions  galore  await  the  adventurer  on  every  hand, 
but  he  will,  if  he  is  wise,  disregard  all  of  them,  and, 
realising  that  he  must  tempt  fortune  in  his  own  way, 
prepare  to  run  the  same  risk  that  he  would  in  buying 
any  other  commodity  —  as  a  watch  or  a  picture  — 
to  suit  himself.  The  purchase  of  a  timepiece,  how- 
ever, has  the  advantage  that  you  can  look  inside  the 
case,  while  the  picture  can  always  be  revarnished, 
and  there  is  some  special  light  in  which  it  will  always 
appear  to  good  advantage.  One  can  never  plunge 
until  he  dives;  and  the  way  to  learn  to  swim  is  to 
go  into  the  water  —  and  a  little  over  your  head  at 
that  —  therefore,  be  not  perturbed  unduly  at  the 
unexplored  depths  of  the  horse  market. 


Horse  Buying  and  Horse  Trying   107 

Any  one  can  buy  a  horse,  but  it  is  a  special  gift 
to  be  able,  as  a  general  thing,  to  select  a  good  one. 
Nor  does  the  mere  knowledge  of  soundness,  and  of 
the  appropriate  relation  of  parts,  and  of  harmony  of 
proportions  afford  anything  more  than  a  more  or  less 
vague  indication.  Veterinarians  are  everywhere 
nowadays,  and  the  question  of  physical  condition 
may  be  left  to  them:  it  should  be  enough  for  the 
buyer  that  the  animal  does  not  go  lame,  is  sound 
in  wind  and  eyes,  and  has  no  vices  in  or  out  of 
the  stable ;  and  what  is,  after  all,  more  cloying  than 
perfection  ?  or  more  difficult  "  to  live  up  to  "  ? 

These  characteristics  are  but  the  framework,  the 
shell  which  contains  the  meat;  and  it  is  for  you  to 
try  your  luck  at  the  guesswork  of  whether  the 
creature  is  suited  to  your  purposes,  whether  his 
individuality  is  such  as  you  fancy.  The  domestic 
and  the  stable  arrangements  are  two  details  which 
every  man  must  arrange  for  himself.  While  it  is 
impossible  so  to  particularise  that  you  shall  recognise 
a  good,  lively,  well-disposed,  healthy,  and  honest 
horse  whenever  and  wherever  you  may  encounter 


io8  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

him,  there  are  certain  characteristics  which  figure  as 
badges  of  merit,  and  may  be  briefly  and  imperfectly 
enumerated.  Were  there  but  a  definite  pattern  to 
apply  to  this  task,  results  would  be  much  more  satis- 
factory ;  failing  it,  we  must  trust  to  observation  and 
native  intuition. 

Women  are  surprisingly  good  judges  of  horse- 
flesh. By  that  is  meant  that  the  feminine  eye  is 
strong  for  proportion  and  harmony  of  outline,  while 
a  woman  is  burdened  with  no  prejudice,  as  to  this 
fine  quarter  or  that  good  shoulder,  basing  her  verdict 
simply  and  solely  upon  whether  the  subject,  per  se, 
appeals  to  her  as  desirable.  If  when  "  shopping,"  a 
horse  does  so  to  you,  and  if  price  and  accomplish- 
ments are  within  requirements,  buy  him,  and  rest 
quite  assured  that  you  probably  have  made  a  satis- 
factory purchase,  even  if  Uncle  Tom  doesn't  like 
his  feet,  if  Cousin  Harry  hardly  fancies  his  back, 
and  if  Brother  Dick  calls  him  too  light  below  the 
knee. 

Never  be  guided  by  the  opinion  of  groom,  farmer, 
or  any  of  the  vast  tribe  who  "  know  a  lot  about 


Horse  Buying  and  Horse  Trying   109 

horses  " ;  or  by  those  officious  individuals,  who,  real- 
ising how  easy  it  is  to  find  fault,  strive  by  caustic 
comment  to  conceal  their  profound  ignorance. 
Horse  buying  is  not  an  occult  science,  and  there 
are  no  hidden  mysteries  about  such  matters  which 
have  been,  as  by  a  miracle,  revealed  to  the  dull  and 
the  ignorant,  and  remain  ever  veiled  from  the  capable 
and  the  intelligent.  Class  yourself  with  the  latter, 
at  feast  to  yourself. 

To  begin  with,  the  animal's  temperament  should 
be  of  the  most  active,  brisk,  and  ambitious;  temper, 
of  the  most  kindly  and  genial.  Temperament  is  an 
inheritance  from  various  and  sundry  ancestors,  and 
can  be  but  little  changed,  but  temper,  while  coming 
from  the  same  sources,  is  susceptible  of  ruin  or  cul- 
ture, according  as  education  shall  tend. 

Having  studied  the  inward  conformation  —  or 
temperament  —  of  the  beast,  perhaps  we  are  in  condi- 
tion to  consider  his  outward  arrangement,  and  those 
indications  of  his  merits  and  good  qualities  which 
are  afforded  by  such  points ;  not  only  the  individu- 
ality, which  is  an  external  evidence  of  the  tempera- 


lio  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

ment,  but  the  general  bodily  form  and  its  propor- 
tions, which  testify  to  ability  or  the  reverse. 

If  you  must  buy  a  horse  upon  one  single  point, 
choose  him  on  his  head  and  countenance  —  and  never 
select  one  which,  whatever  his  bodily  merits,  does 
not  impress  you  as  being  generous,  bold,  intelligent, 
and  vivacious.  You  trust  a  man  by  his  face  —  take 
his  soul  on  credit,  if  that  evidence  be  flawless :  you 
may  pursue  the  same  course  with  your  horse.  The 
body  represents  the  material  portion,  the  head  and 
countenance  the  spiritual. 

A  little  book  by  Doctor  J.  C.  L.  Carson,  of  Ireland, 
—  long  out  of  print,  —  provides  the  very  best  de- 
scription of  a  horse's  faultless  head  that  has  ever  been 
written,  and  it  were  presumptuous  to  attempt  to 
improve  upon  it  in  any  respect.  The  doctor  says: 
"  The  head  of  every  horse  should  be  as  small  as 
must  be  in  keeping  with  the  rest  of  his  body.  A 
large,  coarse  head  is  a  physical  defect,  and  has  no 
counterbalancing  advantages.  The  muzzle  should 
be  fine  and  of  moderate  length ;  the  mouth  deep,  for 
receiving  and  retaining  the  bit;  the  lips  rather  thin 


i.  NEARLY  A  PAIR.  —  2.  A  PERFECT  PAIR. 
Original  drawings  by  Frank  Whitney. 


Horse  Buying  and  Horse  Trying   in 

and  firmly  compressed.  A  fine,  tight  lip  is  indica- 
tive of  an  active  temperament,  and  affords  a  measure 
of  the  energy  of  the  animal.  Horses  with  short, 
thick,  flabby  lips,  lying  wide  apart,  are  proverbial 
for  sluggishness.  The  nostrils  should  be  large, 
so  as  to  allow  the  air  free  access  to  the  lungs.  There 
is  a  direct  relation  between  the  development  of  the 
nostrils  and  the  capacity  of  the  lungs.  Capacious 
lungs  are  of  no  use,  if  the  orifice  which  supplies 
them  is  so  contracted  that  due  extension  is  prevented. 
Care  must  be  taken  not  to  confound  a  naturally 
well-developed  nostril  with  one  which  appears  large 
because  permanently  distended  by  disease  of  the 
lungs  and  air  passages. 

"  The  muzzle  should  be  fine  for  a  good  way  up, 
and  then  enlarge  suddenly,  that  the  under  jaw  may 
be  broad,  as  well  as  thick  from  side  to  side.  The 
space  between  the  two  blades  of  the  under  jaw  should 
be  broad  and  deep  to  freely  admit  the  windpipe  and 
neck,  when  the  head  is  bent  toward  the  chest.  The 
face,  at  side  view,  should  be  straight,  or  perhaps 
dipped  between  eyes  and  nose  as  in  the  Arab  or  the 


1 1 2  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

blood-horse.  The  face  should  be  broad  between 
the  eyes,  but  taper  somewhat  as  it  approaches  the 
ears. 

"  Of  all  organs  the  eye  is  perhaps  the  most  char- 
acteristic and  expressive.  It  may  well  be  called  the 
window,  through  which  we  can  look  and  behold  the 
activities  going  on  within,  which  would  be  for  ever 
hidden  from  us  were  this  friendly  orifice  darkened. 
It  should  be  kindly,  bold,  full  of  suggestions  of 
latent  heat  and  fervour,  but  over  all  a  mild  and  gentle 
look.  An  eye  ringed  with  white  suggests  mischief 
(although  this  does  not  necessarily  follow).  A 
horse  that  is  generally  looking  backward  so  far  as 
to  expose  the  white  of  the  eye  is  generally  alert  for 
mischief,  and  not  to  be  trusted." 

The  ears  should  be  quick  and  lively  in  movement, 
rather  close  together  at  the  base,  and  tapering  finely, 
the  points  tending  upward;  a  long  ear  of  this  sort 
is  not  to  be  rejected.  Beware  the  horse  who  holds 
them  regularly  straight  up,  or  perhaps  backward  a 
little.  He  is  not  looking  —  but  listening  —  and 


Horse  Buying  and  Horse  Trying   113 

this  jack-rabbit  style  is  indicative  of  nervousness 
and  possible  vice  —  or  at  least  of  uncertain  temper. 

The  brow  should  be  broad :  rather  full  (not  pro- 
truding) .  Here  lies  the  brain  —  the  intelligence  — 
which  varies  as  much  in  animal  as  in  man.  Such  a 
horse's  instincts  are  generous  —  his  play  will  be 
only  fun,  his  work  well  done;  while  the  narrow- 
browed  dullard  will  prove  a  shirk  or  worse,  and 
his  playfulness  but  slightly  removed  from  meanness 
of  some  sort. 

Broad  should  be  the  jaws  where  the  neck  joins; 
free  and  clear  the  windpipe;  the  neck  itself  rather 
long,  nobly  arched,  and  crested,  well-veined,  thicker 
in  the  middle  than  at  top  or  bottom.  Never  accept 
the  short,  straight-necked,  narrow-jawed  beast  — 
he  is  deformed,  and  cannot  bend  and  supple  himself 
as  he  can  if  the  neck  is  what  it  should  be,  —  one  of 
his  most  attractive  possessions. 

The  chest  should  be  large,  deep,  and  round  in 
proportion  to  depth.  Here  lies  the  steam-room  con- 
taining the  heart  and  lungs,  and  upon  them  depends 
the  endurance  of  the  animal ;  mere  beauty  amounts 


114  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

to  nothing,  lacking  that  ability  to  perform  which 
sound  heart  and  big  lungs  insure. 

The  shoulder  should  be  oblique,  the  withers  high, 
bony,  and  prominent,  not  low,  thick,  and  "  meaty." 
The  first  shape  insures  sure-footedness  in  a  great 
degree,  because  it  affords  room  for  the  oblique  and 
well-placed  shoulder  to  play  cleanly  and  to  act 
promptly,  providing  free  and  bold  methods  of  pro- 
gression. Especially  are  such  withers  necessary  for 
saddle  work  —  for  the  lady's  saddle-horse  vitally 
important,  as  safeguarding  the  saddle  and  prevent- 
ing it  from  turning.  Be  sure,  however,  that  the 
strong,  broad,  able  look  of  the  shoulder  is  a  matter 
of  compact  muscle,  and  not  loosely-set  shoulder- 
blades.  If  investigation,  then,  by  the  finger-tips 
proves  the  upper  point  to  lie  close  into  the  spinal 
column  and  ribs,  the  formation  is  all  that  could  be 
asked. 

The  arm  (upper  fore  leg)  should  be  muscular,  and 
set  "  thickly  "  into  the  shoulder ;  the  elbow  large, 
not  turned  in  nor  out,  but  boldly  square.  The 
cannon-bone  (shin  or  lower  fore  leg)  should  be  flat, 


Horse  Buying  and  Horse  Trying   115 

sharply  and  cleanly  tendoned;  large  and  flat  knee- 
joint;  no  soft  or  "gummy"  appearance  or  feel  to 
any  part  of  its  connections,  nor  of  the  fetlock- joints. 
The  sinews  cordy,  thrown  well  up,  and  large.  The 
pastern  sloping  fairly,  and  not  too  long  —  beware 
the  long,  slender  joint  (conspicuously  so),  or  the 
short  upright  one;  neither  wear  well  as  a  rule.  It 
must  in  honesty  be  allowed,  however,  that  many 
straight-shouldered,  small-boned,  "  gummy  "-legged, 
bad-pasterned  horses  work  on  indefinitely  —  still, 
these  exceptions  have  no  bearing  upon  appropriate 
selection  and  average  results. 

The  hoof  should  measure  more  in  length  than 
in  breadth,  and  should  be  widest  directly  through 
the  centre.  Never  accept  the  low,  meaty  heel,  espe- 
cially if  the  pastern  is  long  and  weak.  Such  com- 
bination is  sure  to  be  faulty;  to  resist  concussion 
badly,  and  to  fail  somewhere.  There  should  be  no 
rings  or  protuberances  upon  the  outside  surface  of 
the  horn,  and  this  should  be  smooth,  black,  and 
tough-looking.  The  slant  of  the  natural  toe  to  the 
ground  is  about  fifty  per  cent.  The  frog  should  be 


Ii6  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

like  a  big  chunk  of  India-rubber:  elastic,  healthy, 
and  free  from  smell ;  it  cannot  be  too  large  nor  too 
long.  Be  sure  that  the  horse  stands  square  on  his 
fore  legs  and  on  his  pasterns;  that  his  toes  turn 
neither  out  nor  in;  that  his  leg  as  he  walks  and 
trots  swings  straight,  true,  and  free.  If  the  elbow 
turns  out  the  toes  generally  turn  in,  and  vice  versa. 
The  knee  should  never  incline  backward  (the  "  calf  " 
knee),  nor  be  round  and  protruding  (the  "buck" 
knee),  nor  should  it  cut  in  at  a  sharp  angle  where 
the  back  tendon  joins  it. 

Hear  Doctor  Carson  again  upon  these  matters : 
"  Any  person  may  see  that  safety  to  the  horse's 
knees  depends  chiefly  on  the  slant  of  the  shoulder 
and  pastern,  together  with  the  method  in  which  the 
foot  is  brought  to  the  ground.  I  look  upon  high- 
lifting  as  a  very  great  fault.  It  is  the  laying  down 
of  the  foot  which  renders  the  animal  safe.  Of  course 
the  foot  should  be  raised  high  enough  to  prevent  the 
toe  from  coming  into  contact  with  the  ground;  but 
this  is  very  different  from  what  is  called  high  action. 
The  medium  course  is  the  only  safe  one.  If  the  horse 


Horse  Buying  and  Horse  Trying   117 

lifts  his  foot  clear,  and  lays  his  heel  first  to  the 
ground  he  cannot  stumble,  this  being  caused  by 
slicking  the  toe  into  the  road,  or  striking  it  against  a 
stone  just  as  the  foot  is  being  brought  down  into 
contact  with  the  surface  of  the  ground.  As  a  horse 
has  no  weight  dependent  upon  his  foot  in  lifting  it, 
he  seldom  or  never  fails  when  it  is  in  that  position; 
but  only  when  returning  it,  and  then  only  when 
the  toe  is  placed  upon  the  ground  before  the  heel. 
Under  such  circumstances  a  slight  obstacle  will  bend 
the  pastern  forward  —  and  away  he  goes !  Of 
course,  these  observations  are  applicable  to  shape 
and  action  alone,  and  have  no  reference  to  those 
cases  where  a  fall  is  caused  by  a  sharp  stone  pressing 
upon  a  tender  and  diseased  foot."  Or,  the  doctor 
might  have  added,  by  painful  speedy-cutting,  or 
interfering. 

A  long  back  is  reputed  weak,  if  the  back  ribs  are 
shallow,  and  the  coupling  at  the  hips  angular,  the 
hip-joints  ragged;  yet,  although  some  of  our  best 
hunters  and  steeplechasers  are  shaped  in  this  way, 
it  does  not  seem  to  affect  their  weight-carrying  or 


Ii8  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

leaping  powers,  popular  opinion  and  prejudice  to 
the  contrary.  Still  it  is  not  a  desirable  conformation 
when  excessive ;  nor  is  such  a  shape  likely  to  hold  its 
flesh  well,  and  to  retain  that  robust  appearance  so 
acceptable  to  the  eye.  "  Short  above  and  long- 
below  "  affords  the  ideal  conformation,  and  insures 
a  horse  "  standing  over  a  lot  of  ground,"  and  prop- 
erly on  all  his  legs.  A  "  roached  "  loin  is  not  attrac- 
tive, nor  is  a  decided  drop  to  the  croup  —  yet  the 
formations  neither  insure  nor  forbid  power  in  back 
and  loin.  A  sway-backed  draught-horse  is  more 
powerful  than  his  straight-made  mate,  but  will  not 
remain  so  if  weight  (as  a  man  or  bag  of  meal)  be 
placed  upon  the  latter's  loins  to  dip  his  back  for  the 
pull. 

The  ribs  should  be  long,  well  sprung,  standing 
out  well  from  the  backbone;  the  hips  round,  and 
smooth  over  the  hip  bones;  the  stifles  prominent, 
playing  clear  of  the  sides,  and  well  muscled;  the 
horse  very  broad  through  there  —  "  good  to  follow," 
as  horsemen  say.  The  ragged-hipped  formation  is 


Horse  Buying  and  Horse  Trying   119 

strong  and  rugged,  but  not  handsome,  and  apt  to  be 
associated  with  a  light  loin. 

The  great  thigh  muscles  should  run  down  into 
a  strong,  bony,  well-developed  hock- joint;  large  it 
must  be,  coarse  it  may  be,  provided  all  the  other 
joints  of  the  body  show  the  same  characteristic  — 
the  sinew  large  and  broad.  The  lower  thigh  bone 
should  meet  the  hock  at  a  rather  sharp  angle,  but 
thence  the  leg  should  run  as  straight  as  a  line  to  the 
pastern.  Any  departure  from  this  conformation 
renders  curb  liable,  from  local  friction  and  inflamma- 
tion. 

The  very  smooth,  neat,  and  finely  turned  hock  is 
the  one  that  is  liable  to  trouble,  especially  if  the 
shank,  as  it  joins  the  hock,  is  very  small,  thus  pre- 
venting sufficient  resting-place  or  surface  for  this 
most  important  joint  to  work  upon,  and  not  suffi- 
ciently distributing  the  concussion.  Improper  shoe- 
ing throws  the  whole  mechanism  of  the  hind  leg  out 
of  gear,  and  spavin  results.  Broad,  wide  bone,  clean 
in  tendon  and  sinew,  and  free  from  appearance  of 
"  softness,"  is  essential. 


I2O  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

Bear  in  mind  the  purposes  for  which  you  princi- 
pally want  the  animal.  Insist  upon  general  harmony 
and  proportion  oi  appearance.  Do  not  buy  him  for 
his  arching  neck  and  flowing  tail,  unless  you  are 
satisfied  with  the  excellence  of  those  members  and 
ask  no  more  —  there  should  be  lots  of  "  horse " 
between  them  and  supporting  them,  or  your  bargain 
is  poor. 

This  is  what  you  need  to  look  for  in  your  prospec- 
tive purchase;  now  how  to  find  him.  To  do  this 
with  reasonable  chance  of  success  taboo  the  adver- 
tising columns  of  the  daily  papers.  Those  fascinat- 
ing descriptions  of  the  animal  for  sale  only  "  because 
the  property  of  my  late  husband,"  or  because  "  owner 
wishes  to  leave  town,"  are  not  to  be  thought  of  at 
any  price  —  if  for  no  other  reason  than  because, 
in  purchasing  so  much  excellence  for  such  a  trifling 
cash  outlay,  you  would  be  doing  injustice  to  a  fellow 
being,  and  not  returning  a  fair  equivalent.  That  is 
one  reason;  the  other  is  that  ninety  per  cent,  of 
these  advertisements  are  rank  swindles,  yet  so  skil- 
fully managed  that  you  would  almost  infallibly  fall 
a  victim  to  the  sharks  who  insert  them. 


Horse  Buying  and  Horse  Trying   1 21 

Go  shopping  for  your  horses  then  as  you  do  for 
your  cravats.  Go  to  any  dealer,  and,  pocketing 
your  pride,  confess  your  ignorance  of  all  matters 
equine  —  no  secret,  by  the  way,  because  he  knew 
it  the  moment  you  spoke  to  him.  Tell  him  frankly 
what  you  want,  what  you  will  pay,  and  what  trial 
you  require.  Place  him  on  his  honour,  and  be 
sure  that  he  will  do  his  best  to  suit  you  if  he  has 
the  sort  of  animal  you  describe ;  if  not,  that  he  will 
frankly  say  so,  and  recommend  you  to  some  other 
who  has.  Do  not  imagine  that  he  is  conducting  a 
gift  enterprise,  and  will,  because  of  your  winning 
manners  or  genial  smile,  allow  you  to  carry  away 
a  five-hundred-dollar  horse  for  two  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars;  for  he  will  do  nothing  of  the  sort,  not 
improbably  having  a  family  of  little  Dealers  for 
whom  to  provide  board  and  lodging.  He  will  give 
you  a  fair  horse  for  a  fair  price ;  an  excellent  animal 
for  a  big  figure ;  a  "  screw  "  for  a  little  money  — 
and  that  is  all  you  have  any  reason  to  expect  from 
him.  Do  not  try  to  impress  him  with  the  various 
phrases  you  may  have  laboriously  committed  to 


122  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

memory,  after  culling  them  from  the  conversation  of 
"  horsey  "  friends,  nor  make  strange  passes  at  the 
animal  produced  for  your  inspection,  as  if  about 
to  hypnotise  him,  but  stand  at  a  reasonable  distance, 
look  the  suspect  over,  and  see  if  he  impresses  you 
favourably  —  resembles  the  animal  your  fancy  has, 
all  these  years,  painted  as  conveying  you  and  Amelia 
over  the  boulevards  and  through  the  parks  when  the 
halcyon  days  arrived  that  should  enable  you  to 
"  keep  a  carriage." 

Exact  in  the  way  of  a  trial  anything  you  wish, 
but  have  that  matter  distinctly  understood  with  the 
dealer  before  he  goes  to  the  trouble  of  harnessing 
his  offering  for  you.  If  he  does  not  wish  to  submit 
to  your  exactions  go  elsewhere,  —  there  are  plenty 
of  dealers,  —  but  don't  put  a  man  whose  time  is 
as  valuable  to  him  as  yours  to  you  to  a  lot  of  bother, 
and  then  disgust  him  by  insisting  upon  some  unrea- 
sonable trial,  for  which  he  knows  his  animal  will  not 
qualify.  Don't  let  the  "  seller  buy  him  for  you," 
but  take  him  to  all  the  objects  you  expect  him  to 
face,  nor  be  particular  about  going  gently  with  him 


Horse  Buying  and  Horse  Trying   123 

lest  he  kick  or  balk  —  he  had  better  do  it  now 
before  you  own  him  than  after  you  buy  him  —  he 
had  much  better  smash  the  dealer's  wagon  than  your 
own.  Besides  this,  you  do  not  want  to  know  how 
he  will  behave  in  an  expert's  hands,  but  what  his 
deportment  is  when  you  are  holding  the  rein 

Should  the  trial  be  satisfactory,  call  in  a  veteri- 
nary surgeon,  and,  telling  him  that  all  you  expect 
is  "  practical  "  soundness,  ask  him  'how  nearly  the 
horse  on  trial  fills  the  bill.  Do  not  let  him  lapse 
into  prophecy  as  to  what  changes  may  take  place  in 
the  animal's  internal  economy,  after  six  years'  usage, 
but  hold  him  down  rigidly  to  present  conditions.  If 
he  says  the  bill  of  health  is  a  reasonably  clear  one, 
and  likely,  in  his  opinion,  to  continue  so,  settle  for 
your  purchase,  and  send  him  home  satisfied  that  so 
far  as  your  opportunities  go  you  have  proceeded 
wisely,  and  that,  at  all  events,  you  have  not  allowed 
to  any  carping  critic  the  quasi-right  to,  if  the  worst 
happens,  continually  croak  that  most  intensely  irri- 
tating sentence  in  our  language,  "  I  told  you  so !  " 


CHAPTER   II. 
Driving 

TO  dignify  this  accomplishment  by  classing  it 
among  the  arts  and  sciences  is  to  concede 
only  its  due,  and  it  is  to  be  regretted  that  more 
pains  are  not  generally  taken  to  acquire  genuine 
proficiency.  The  mere  steering  of  one  or  more 
horses  along  the  highways  and  byways  of  town  and 
country,  and  the  fortunate  avoidance  of  passing  or 
stationary  vehicles,  lamp-posts,  and  pedestrians,  is 
not  driving  by  any  means.  There  is  more  to  it  than 
the  mere  pulling  of  one  rein  harder  than  the  other 
to  turn  to  the  right  or  left,  or  the  hauling  upon  both 
to  prevent  progression,  although  we  are  prone  to 
advance  no  farther  than  these  rudimentary  acquire- 
ments. 

It  is  largely  for  these  reasons  that  our  native 
horses  are  not  better  mannered  and  more  lightly 

124 


Driving  125 

bitted.  Their  trainers  lack  the  skill  necessary  to 
advance  them,  or,  if  they  possess  it,  they  find  that 
the  horse-using  public  neither  demands  perfection 
nor,  as  a  rule,  possesses  the  ability  to  handle  the 
thoroughly  educated  and  properly  mouthed  animal. 

The  average  charioteer  also,  be  he  never  so  indif- 
ferent a  performer,  resents  instantly  and  vigorously 
any  imputations  cast  upon  his  skill,  or  any  advice 
looking  to  his  improvement  in  such  undertakings. 
It  is  an  odd  kink  in  human  nature,  but  astonish- 
ingly common,  that  one  must  never  imply  that  an- 
other does  not  know  all  about  horses  —  their  care, 
management,  and  steerage  —  and  while  it  is  quite 
safe  to  jeer  at  the  golfer,  to  deride  the  yachtsman, 
to  instruct  the  athlete,  or  to  advise  the  tyro  at  any 
of  the  favourite  sports  and  pastimes,  he  who  would 
warn,  chide,  or  demonstrate  to  the  neophyte  horse- 
man is  rash  indeed,  and  tempts  reprisals  which  he 
wots  not  of. 

Advice,  forsooth,  to  Smith,  who  always  as  a  boy 
drove  the  peripatetic  butcher's  and  grocer's  wagons 
whenever  he  could  "  hook  school !  "  Or  to  Brown, 


126  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

whose  father  always  kept  a  family  steed  —  the  same 
one  for  over  twenty  years  —  and  behind  which 
Brown  was  usually  allowed  to  take  the  air  solus  (or 
with  his  "  best  girl  "),  during  the  infrequent  periods 
when  that  patient  steed  was  not  needed  for  other 
domestic  uses,  like  bringing  home  the  laundry, 
or  hauling  the  cultivator.  Nothing  ever  happened 
to  these  two  adventurers  —  at  least,  nothing  that 
they  ever  confessed  —  and  what  is  there  about  other 
equines  that  they  should  fear  or  hesitate  to  essay 
their  handling?  Perish  the  thought,  and  bring  on 
your  horses  —  Smith,  Brown,  and  their  ilk  will  gaily 
tackle  them  all ;  nor  do  the  difficulties  attending  the 
driving  of  a  pair  present  to  them  more  obstacles  than 
the  handling  of  a  single  horse,  for  are  they  not 
securely  fastened  together?  And  if  one  of  the  pair 
is  foolish  enough  to  do  all  the  work,  why,  what  more 
could  one  expect  from  an  unreasoning  brute? 

The  humourous  Irishman,  who  possessed  but  a 
single  eye,  claimed  that  of  course  he  could  sit  up 
all  night  "  with  the  boys,"  because  they,  poor  fel- 
lows, had  two  eyes  to  rest,  and  therefore  got  twice 


Driving  127 

as  tired  as  he  did.  In  the  same  way  the  equestrian 
of  one  idea  has  it  always  in  working  order,  and, 
refusing  steadfastly  to  expand  or  modify  it,  can  put 
the  man  of  much  experience  completely  out  of 
court  in  many  arguments. 

If  Smith  and  Brown  are  obdurate,  their  better 
halves  are  usually  adamant  in  their  absurd  confi- 
dence that  what  they  do  not  know  about  a  horse  is 
"  not  worth  knowing."  Their  fathers  always  let 
them  drive,  and  the  old  gentlemen  included  among 
their  possessions  steeds  of  large  toleration  and  vast 
experience  with  the  vagaries  of  mankind,  which  were 
as  nearly  automatic  in  the  performance  of  their 
duties  as  anything  of  flesh  and  blood  can  be.  "  Pop- 
per "  and  "  mommer  "  and  "  all  of  us  children " 
invited  locomotion  by  first  jerking  the  reins,  then 
slapping  both,  or  one,  of  them  upon  the  animal's 
back,  and  adding  thereto  various  mystic  sounds,  such 
as  "  crk-cTk-cl'k-crk,"  pronounced  very  rapidly  and 
with  much  effort,  if  by  feminine  lips,  or  a 
"  Pw-e-e-e-p,"  as  if  one  had  absorbed  an  over- 
supply  of  that  delectable  sweetmeat  known  as 


128  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

"  fudge."  These  signals  always  secured  advance 
of  some  sort,  and  of  varied  celerity,  and  increase  of 
pace  was  to  be  reached  by  more  vigorous  application 
of  the  same  methods,  reinforced,  if  necessity  im- 
pelled and  time  pressed,  by  a  grasping  of  the  whip, 
and  a  vigorous  application  of  it  along  the  whole 
length  of  Dobbin's  framework. 

Therefore  any  other  equine  cloth  is  to  be  at  once 
cut  according  to  this  familiar  coat,  and  the  young 
horse-flesh  from  the  country,  and  just  added  to 
Smith's  earthly  goods  and  chattels,  finds  himself 
brought  to  the  door;  not  improbably  left  standing 
alone  while  Smith  goes  into  the  house  to  hunt  for 
his  gloves  (Dobbin  always  stood  so,  why  not  any 
horse?),  and  once  the  family  is  safely  installed  in 
the  vehicle,  receives,  to  his  amazement  and  disgust, 
a  more  or  less  violent  jerk  in  the  mouth,  while  his 
ears  are  saluted  by  a  volley  of  sounds,  reminding 
him  of  the  old  hens,  which  he  used  to  hear  about 
the  barnyard  at  home,  calling  to  their  chickens. 
While  thus  bewildered,  he  is  further  outraged  by 
receiving  a  slap  of  the  reins  on  the  quarters  and 


Driving  1 29 

back,  and,  as  they  are  quite  loose,  he  makes  a  tre- 
mendous plunge  to  get  somewhere  away  from  the 
scene  of  his  discomfort,  and  not  improbably  the 
Smiths  are  picked  out  of  various  hedges  and  off  of 
sundry  fence  pickets,  according  as  chance  has  dis- 
seminated them. 

The  best  way  to  learn  to  drive  is  to  drive,  and 
not  to  stick  to  the  one  horse  which  will  tolerate  your 
eccentricities,  but  to  shift  as  often  as  possible,  taking 
the  rough  with  the  smooth;  free-goers  and  slug- 
gards ;  the  tricky  and  the  sedate.  Advice  and  dem- 
onstration can  carry  you  along  only  so  far,  the 
rest  of  it  is  all  practice  and  observation.  Much  can 
be  learned  by  watching  a  first-class  performer,  and 
by  copying  his  apparently  effortless  methods,  study- 
ing the  reasons  for  them,  experimenting  with  all 
sorts  of  angles,  both  advancing  and  backing,  and 
cultivating  your  eye  to  a  prompt  appreciation  of 
distance  and  direction. 

One  of  the  last  things  you  will  learn,  and  one  of 
the  greatest  obstructions  to  advance  until  it  is  ap- 
preciated, is  the  fact  that  too  mjuch  is  attempted 


130  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

with  most  horses,  and  that  we  do  not  leave  them 
to  their  own  devices  as  often  as  we  should.  They 
all  have  ideas  about  the  best  way  to  accomplish  a 
task,  and  are  entitled  to  an  opportunity  to  demon- 
strate their  theories. 

It  is  for  this  reason  that  a  woman,  when  she  drives 
really  well,  is  a  better  driver  than  any  man.  She 
lets  her  horses  alone  more;  gives  them  more  free- 
dom ;  takes  it  for  granted  that  they  know  their  busi- 
ness. A  man  immediately  begins  to  bully  a  horse. 
He  wants  him  to  turn  upon  the  spot  he  selects  and 
in  the  style  he  fancies.  Failing  this,  he  resorts 
to  force,  and  not  infrequently  ends  by  finding  the 
trouble  he  has  sought. 

The  fundamental  principle  of  driving  or  of  riding 
is  never  to  ask  a  movement  of  a  horse  unless  you 
have  conveyed  to  him  by  a  delicate  manipulation  of 
the  bit  and  reins  the  intelligence  that  you  are  about 
to  require  motion  of  him.  This  applies  to  starting, 
stopping,  turning,  backing,  and  every  movement 
possible  to  the  animal.  Its  conveyance  is  so  subtle 
as  to  be  almost  automatic,  electric,  what  you  will. 


Driving  131 

Watch  an  expert  about  to  mount  his  vehicle.  He 
ascends  and  takes  the  reins.  As  you  think  he  is 
about  to  start,  an  acquaintance  calls  him.  He  con- 
verses with  him  for  some  moments,  the  reins  mean- 
while leading  from  his  hands  quite  directly  to  the 
horse's  mouth.  His  conversation  finished  and  adieux 
exchanged,  the  animal  moves  off  as  by  his  own  voli- 
tion. Now  what  did  the  driver  do?  He  neither 
spoke  nor  moved  so  far  as  you  could  see,  yet,  at  the 
exact  instant  he  mentally  desired  it,  the  horse  ad- 
vanced. How  was  it  done?  Why  did  he  not  move 
before,  when  the  reins  were  drawn  as  tight? 

Again,  at  some  period  in  a  similar  conversation, 
an  advancing  carriage  made  it  necessary  for  this 
driver  to  back  a  few  steps  out  of  the  way.  Ap- 
parently independently  of  any  guidance  back  goes 
the  horse  at  the  required  instant,  yet  the  occupant  of 
the  vehicle  hardly  looked  at  him,  and  certainly  made 
no  apparent  motion.  How  was  the  signal  conveyed  ? 

Again,  our  friend  comes  dashing  down  the  street 
at  twelve  miles  an  hour,  hails  us,  and  pulls  up. 
Motionless  in  his  tracks  stands  the  good  horse,  al- 


132  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

though  headed  for  home  and  dose  to  the  well-known 
stable.  Our  chat  finished,  at  the  last  word  off  he 
starts,  and  in  ten  strides  is  flying  along  at  the  old 
pace.  Can  you  do  the  same?  Can  you  perform 
any  of  these  feats,  not  with  one  horse  but  with 
nine  out  of  ten  ?  Why  not  ?  It  is  as  possible  to  you 
as  to  any  one,  and  you  are  no  driver  until  you  can 
do  it,  if  not  in  perfection  at  least  approximately. 

Can  you  make  a  horse  stand  still,  a  nervous,  fret- 
ting animal  that  is  anxious  to  be  off?  Try  it  and 
see  how  seldom  you  can  do  it,  and  realise  that  you 
have  been  usually  standing  at  your  animal's  pleasure, 
not  he  at  yours. 

"  Hands  "  accomplish  all  this,  so  called  for  lack 
of  better  definition,  although  they  are  after  all 
but  subordinate  elements.  Sympathy,  intelligence, 
"  horse  sense,"  common  sense,  intuitive  perception 
of  what  a  horse  is  about  to  do,  and  almost  auto- 
matic measures  to  frustrate  it  are  the  essentials. 

Of  course  our  friend  the  expert  was  really  signal- 
ling to  his  horse  all  the  time  he  was  under  observa- 
tion, but  we  were  not  quick  enough  of  eye  and 


Driving  133 

perception  to  appreciate  it.  Everything  the  animal 
did  he  was  telegraphed  to  do,  and  it  is  this  sympa- 
thetic magnetism  that  made  the  expert  what  he  is, 
and  what  he  is  you  can  be  in  a  degree  if  you  really 
love  animals,  and  care  to  try  to  win  their  confidence, 
but  not  otherwise.  Certain  natures  are  non-assim- 
ilative in  these  connections,  and  no  efforts  can  put 
them  thoroughly  en  rapport  either  with  their  own 
kind  or  with  the  animal  kingdom;  but,  fortunately, 
such  as  they  are  rare,  and  equally  luckily  it  is  not 
necessary  that  you  should  possess  the  ability  of  the 
expert. 

Pages  might  be  written  on  this  subject,  for  it 
alone  affords  material  for  a  volume.  No  reference 
will  be  made  here  to  £he  manner  of  'holding  reins 
and  whip,  or  to  the  thousand  and  one  details  con- 
nected with  the  art.  All  these  particulars  are  so 
closely  interdependent  that  it  is  not  possible  to  sep- 
arate them,  or  to  carry  demonstration  along  consecu- 
tively otherwise.  Therefore,  but  a  few  generally 
disregarded,  but  really  vitally  important,  matters 
are  touched  upon. 


CHAPTER   III. 
Riding  for  Women  and  Children 

NOWHERE  does  a  woman  look  better  than 
upon  a  horse's  back;  no  costume  is  more 
becoming  to  the  trim  and  well-carried  figure;  while 
no  exercise  is  more  generally  beneficial,  and  none 
may  be  more  exactly  graded  to  the  powers  and 
abilities  of  the  participant. 

True  as  this  is,  the  reverse  holds  equally  good. 
No  woman  can  look  well  upon  horseback  who  does 
not  carry  herself  erectly,  with  straight  back  and 
shoulders,  and  hollowed  waist.  No  costume  is  less 
adaptable  to  the  slouchy  figure,  or  tends  more  to 
neatness  and  smartness  at  every  point,  even  to  the 
most  minute  detail.  No  amusement  has  in  it  more 
temptation  to  overexertion,  and  to  carrying  the 
outing  to  excess;  and  no  position  will  so  easily 
tend  to  develop  the  muscles  of  but  one  side  of  the 


Riding  for  Women  and  Children   135 

body,  unless  the  reversible  saddle  is  used,  and  the 
equestrienne  sits  alternately  upon  the  right  and  left 
side  of  her  horse,  or  varies  the  method  radically  by 
taking  up  the  fashion  which  is  now  coming  into 
favour,  of  riding  astride. 

Than  this  last,  no  style  is  more  practical,  more 
appropriate,  or  more  genuinely  modest.  The  modern 
riding-skirt  is  really  little  more  than  an  apron,  and, 
taken  in  conjunction  with  a  tightly  fitting  waist, 
leaves  little  to  the  imagination  when  it  is,  by  the 
rider's  position  in  the  saddle,  drawn  tightly  round 
the  figure.  The  divided  skirt,  on  the  contrary,  is 
most  modest  when  walking,  and  when  astride  the 
horse,  its  flowing  outlines  are  such  as  to  conceal 
gracefully  the  limbs  and  feet.  There  is  little  doubt 
but  that,  if  the  custom  receives  a  little  more  en- 
couragement from  the  "  right  people,"  so  as  to 
include  it  among  the  list  of  fashionable  fads,  the 
side-saddle  will  shortly  become  as  extinct  and  as 
much  a  matter  of  curiosity  as  the  pillion  of  colonial 
days. 

Naturally,  the  ordinary  man's  saddle  is  not  appro- 


136  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

priate  for  a  woman's  use,  and  if  she  attempts  to  ride 
upon  it,  her  sense  of  insecurity,  which  is  actual  as 
well  as  imaginary,  will  cause  the  novice  to  abandon 
the  innovation  before  reasonable  trial  has  proved  its 
many  and  manifest  advantages.  To  go  rather  in- 
timately into  particulars,  the  thigh  is  too  round  to 
grasp  at  the  knee  the  plain  saddle-tree,  as  usually 
made.  Man  has  a  hollow  or  curve  on  the  inside 
of  the  leg,  and  a  prominent  and  bony  knee ;  woman 
is  the  antithesis  of  this  in  shape,  and  her  saddle 
must  be  arranged  to  meet  her  requirements.  This 
is  best  done,  first,  by  arranging  a  large  pad,  or 
"roll,"  on  the  saddle  flap  at  the  knee;  second,  by 
placing  another  roll  on  the  flap  under  the  thigh, 
about  half-way  to  the  knee;  third,  by  covering  the 
whole  with  buckskin  as  being  less  slippery  and  sure 
to  furnish  a  better  seat. 

Even  if  they  are  to  take  to  the  side-saddle  in 
later  life,  girls  and  all  children  should  be  taught  to 
ride  astride.  No  other  means  will  ensure  them 
such  a  firm  seat,  square  shoulders,  hollow  waist, 
confidence,  and  good  hands,  and  balance.  They 


"o 

^    K 


Riding  for  Women  and  Children   137 

should  always  begin  upon  a  pad  of  thick  steam 
felting  girthed  about  an  animal  narrow  enough 
through  to  afford  some  chance  for  the  little  legs 
to  get  a  steadying  hold.  Their  next  promotion 
should  be  to  the  saddle  with  stirrups,  and  the  grad- 
uating course  should  include  the  saddle  without 
stirrups  or  girths.  When  any  boy  or  girl  can  trot 
and  canter  on  a  stirrupless  and  girthless  saddle, 
and  feel  quite  at  ease,  he,  or  she,  has  made  greater 
advances  in  equestrianism  than  one  in  a  thousand 
ever  does  —  and  yet  only  what  it  is  easily  possible  for 
any  one  to  accomplish. 

The  trouble  with  us  all  is  that  we  are  in  such  a 
terrific  hurry  about  everything,  and  rush  through 
and  over  all  obstacles  from  the  cradle  to  the 
grave,  as  if  "  repose  of  manner  "  were  an  undesirable 
accomplishment,  and  not  to  be  cultivated.  Thus  we 
dash  into  a  riding-school,  and  inquire  the  rates  for 
"  learning  to  ride,"  and  are  told  that  twenty  lessons, 
at  about  twice  as  many  dollars,  will  put  us  in  line 
for  public  parade  upon  the  average  school  hack,  — 
those  patient  sufferers,  whose  haggard  eyes  and 


138  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

anxious  expressions,  as  they  approach  the  mounting- 
block  and  despairingly  scan  the  advancing  candi- 
date for  a  location  upon  their  poor  old  ridge-poles, 
afford  one  many  a  regretful  moment  of  retrospec- 
tion. It  is  an  extraordinary  thing  that  one  can 
imagine  for  an  instant  that  he  or  she  can  really 
learn  to  ride  in  such  a  length  of  time. 

True,  one  may  secure  balance  and  assurance 
enough  to  prevent  falling  off,  but  that  is  not  riding 
by  a  good  deal.  As  the  Frenchman  replied  to  his 
instructor  who  directed  him  to  "  trot  on!  "  —  "  Mais 
non,  mon  ami,  mais  non  —  doucement,  doticement. 
If  he  walk,  je  suis  id  —  if  he  tr-r-rot,  I  do  not 
remain ! "  Even  so  the  average  graduate  from  a 
twenty-lesson  course  "  remains  "  purely  through  the 
courtesy  of  her  mount,  and  journeys  along  the  roads 
and  bridle-paths,  an  ever-impending  menace  to  traffic 
of  all  kinds,  and  to  herself  as  well.  Such  an  one 
would  admit  that  it  would  be  idiotic  to  expect  to  play 
the  violin  in  twenty  lessons,  yet  will  idly  argue  that, 
because  she  has  spent  twenty  hours  at  horse  exercise, 
she  is  qualified  to  perform  upon  a  most  difficult 


Riding  for  Women  and  Children   139 

instrument  —  that  is,  the  horse's  mouth,  a  most 
delicate  bundle  of  nerves  and  highly  sensitive  mem- 
branes. 

Of  course,  much  depends  upon  what  will  satisfy 
the  individual.  Many  clerks  spend  their  days  and 
years  in  writing,  and  display  a  shockingly  bad  hand ; 
people  ride  regularly  all  their  lives,  and  never  pass 
the  "  duffer  "  stage ;  not  a  few  deride  anything 
beyond  the  "  pulley-hauley  "  methods,  and  have  no 
desire  to  explore  the  intricacies  of  the  art ;  the  merest 
rudiments  being  enough,  and  the  roughest  systems 
accepted  as  suitable.  With  such  people,  riding  is 
only  a  means  to  the  end  of  exercise,  and  they  care 
not  at  all  how  they  look  or  what  they  do,  so  long 
as  the  liver  receives  its  daily  jolting,  and  a  certain 
time  is  devoted  to  this  form  of  exercise. 

A  lady's  horse  must  be  well  proportioned  and 
good-looking;  up-headed,  well-necked,  and  good- 
shouldered;  rather  longer  of  back  than  the  man's 
hack,  that  the  extra  length  of  the  woman's  saddle 
may  be  accommodated,  and  also  because  the  extra 
length  gives  just  so  much  more  liberty  and  elasticity ; 


140  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

well-quartered  and  muscled;  sure-footed;  free, 
prompt,  fearless,  and  active.  He  must  move  his 
hocks  well  or  he  will  never  carry  a  rider  comfort- 
ably; he  must  lead  always  with  the  right  foot  in 
the  canter,  and  he  must  be  up  to  weight  well  above 
his  rider's  walking  avoirdupois,  for  a  woman  who 
scales,  say  one  hundred  and  forty  pounds,  will  ride 
nearly  one  hundred  and  seventy  pounds.  Any  little, 
scrawny,  light-framed,  spindle-shanked  screw,  that 
is  fit  for  nothing  else,  is  generally  set  down  as  a 
"  lady's  horse,"  and  the  poor  little  wretches  go 
tottering  about,  lugging  burdens  for  which  they  are 
totally  inadequate,  until  one  often  wonders  that  they 
do  not  drop  in  their  tracks  and  give  up  in  despair 
a  task  so  far  beyond  their  powers.  Not  only  are 
they  overburdened,  but  they  must  handle  the  weight, 
perched  as  it  is  upon  one  side,  at  a  great  disadvan- 
tage, and  at  the  expense  of  much  effort  and  dis- 
comfort to  themselves. 

Everything  about  the  costume  should  be  severely 
simple,  smart,  and  well-fitting,  and  whatever  one 
economises  on,  let  it  not  be  the  riding  habit  or  the 


Riding  for  Women  and  Children   141 

skirt  at  least,  on  the  grounds  of  comfort  as  well  as 
appearance.  The  knickerbockers  usually  button  at 
the  knee,  inside  the  right  leg  and  outside  the  left, 
or  sometimes  tights  are  worn.  A  better  plan  is  to 
have  the  ordinary  "  knickers  "  without  buttons  at 
the  knee,  but  with  a  piece  of  broad  tape  passing 
under  the  hollow  of  the  foot  (inside  the  boots  or 
leggings).  This  keeps  everything  in  place,  is  very 
simple  to  make  or  to  repair,  and  absolutely  com- 
fortable and  effective.  The  derby  or  sailor  hat 
should  fit  on  the  head,  not  perch  above  it  on  the 
hair,  and  must  be  securely  fastened;  the  hair  done 
up  very  snugly,  and  with  plenty  of  pins,  so  that 
one  may  not  be  traced  along  the  roads  by  the 
showers  of  them  that  tumble  out;  high  boots  or 
gaiters,  buttoning  to  right  and  left  according  to  the 
leg  they  are  worn  upon;  collar  high;  tie  plain; 
gloves  two  sizes  too  large;  not  a  ribbon,  flower, 
pin,  or  other  gew-gaw  visible;  and  a  good,  useful, 
straight-cutting  whip,  and  not  the  clumsy  and  worth- 
less crop. 

The  saddle  should  be  flat-seated,  long,  and  wide, 


142  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

the  girth-points  separated  to  the  extreme  back  and 
front  of  the  panel,  and  the  girths  crossing  each  other 
under  the  horse's  belly;  the  stirrup-strap  going 
completely  around  the  horse  and  buckling  to  a  strap 
sewn  on  the  off  side  of  the  cantle,  so  that  not  only 
may  the  rider  reach  it  with  her  right  hand,  and  thus 
easily  lengthen  or  shorten  her  own  stirrup,  but  that 
the  pull,  as  s'he  rises  in  the  trot,  may  come  not  upon 
the  left  side,  as  usual,  but  upon  the  right  side,  thus 
keeping  the  saddle  straight  in  its  place  upon  the 
animal's  back.  A  saddle-cloth  of  felt,  girthed  sep- 
arately upon  the  horse's  back,  affords  a  surface 
for  the  saddle  to  move  upon,  and  prevents  many  a 
chafed  back  and  "wrung"  withers.  The  saddle 
should  fit  the  horse's  back  in  every  crevice  and 
angle,  and  only  thus  will  he  safely  retain  his  hide 
in  an  unblemished  condition.  A  raw  place  is  a 
reproach  to  the  rider  and  the  owner. 

Every  woman  should  learn  to  care  for  herself. 
The  clinging,  helpless  female  is  an  awful  nuisance 
in  an  equestrian  party,  or  on  an  afternoon  ride. 
Drawing-room  manners  are  out  of  place  in  the 


Riding  for  Women  and  Children   143 

open,  and  one  should  learn  all  the  details  of  mount- 
ing, dismounting,  and  arranging  the  horse's  trap- 
pings and  her  own  —  or  stay  at  home.  Every 
woman  can  and  should  mount  her  horse  as  easily 
as  can  her  male  escort,  and  it  is  her  duty  to  know 
how. 

To  mount  your  own  horse,  let  out  (from  the  off 
side)  your  stirrup  about  six  holes;  put  your  left 
foot  in  the  stirrup ;  seize  the  pommel  in  the  left,  the 
cantle  in  the  right,  hand ;  pull  yourself  up  and  stand 
in  the  stirrup,  and,  as  you  reach  your  altitude,  shift 
right  hand  to  off  pommel,  twist  body  to  face  horse's 
ears,  and  sit  down;  put  the  right  knee  over  the 
pommel;  take  up  the  stirrup  girth  to  the  proper 
hole;  arrange  your  skirt,  and  slip  the  elastics  over 
the  right  foot  and  left  heel  —  and  there  you  are ! 
To  dismount,  clear  the  elastics;  take  the  knee  off 
the  pommel ;  face  to  the  left ;  take  the  skirt  in  the 
left  hand  and  the  near  pommel  in  the  right,  and 
slide  off.  Nothing  is  simpler,  when  you've  done  it 
once  or  twice,  and  you  are  thus  independent  of  any 
escort. 


144  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

There  is  no  possible  or  conceivable  excuse  for 
holding  the  reins  in  the  left  hand  —  or  any  one  hand. 
You  will  need  both  and  wish  for  two  or  three  more 
if  you  ride  regularly,  and  nothing  keeps  your  seat 
so  square  as  riding  with  reins  in  each  hand.  You 
do  not  belong  to  the  militia  cavalry,  nor  are  you  one- 
armed  ;  therefore,  ride  in  the  civilian  fashion,  and  do 
not  be  led  away  by  any  theories  to  the  contrary. 
If  you  do  ride  one-handed  you  are  absolutely  sure 
to  advance  one  shoulder  and  to  sit  crookedly,  as 
soon  as  your  muscles  tire  —  and  remember  that  this 
destroys  your  appearance,  and  also  carefully  re- 
member that  if  you  look  well  you  will  always  be 
held  to  ride  well  —  if  the  reverse,  you  may  be  a 
very  centaur,  but  will  never  obtain  credit  for  your 
accomplishment. 

Bend  your  right  heel  back  close  to  your  left  shin, 
and  let  your  left  heel  be  always  exactly  beneath  you, 
so  that  your  stirrup-leather  hangs  straight  down.  If 
you  poke  out  your  left  foot,  you  must  stick  out  your 
right,  and  no  fault  is  worse.  Some  women  project 
the  right  away  out  beyond  a  horse's  shoulder-blade, 


Riding  for  Women  and  Children   145 

—  a  hideous  fault,  because  to  do  it  they  are  not 
sitting  up  in  their  saddles,  but  slouching  down  on 
their  backbones.  If  you  cannot  keep  the  left  down 
and  back  any  other  way,  have  the  stirrup  strapped 
to  the  girth  so  that  it  can  only  move  an  inch  or 
two.  Seize  the  pommel  in  the  bend  of  the  right 
knee,  and  nowhere  —  and  nohow  —  else.  This  is 
your  seat,  and  from  it  you  rise,  to  it  you  adhere; 
and  you  can  perfectly  well  rise  at  the  trot,  if  you 
choose,  without  stirrups,  after  a  little  practice,  once 
you  get  this  idea  and  habit  —  that  your  right  thigh 
is  your  mainspring,  and  that  you  rise  from  the  clasp 
of  your  knee  around  the  pommel,  even  as  a  jack- 
knife  blade  is  hinged  at  one  end  of  the  handle. 

Bend  far  over  on  both  sides,  lie  down  on  the 
horse's  back,  lurch  and  pitch  about  in  all  directions, 
that  your  muscles  may  become  supple,  and  loosen  up 
before  you  begin  to  ride.  Do  this  at  a  stand  and  at 
a  walk,  finally  at  a  trot  and  canter.  A  few  minutes' 
exercise  with  the  lightest  kind  of  wooden  dumb-bells, 
before  mounting,  is  excellent,  as  it  expands  the  chest 
and  brings  all  the  useful  muscles  into  active  play, 


146  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

so  that  one  is  ready  to  bend  and  sway  loosely  and 
easily  upon  mounting. 

Ride  at  a  walk,  and  make  your  horse  stop,  back, 
turn,  and  stand  still  at  your  desire,  at  any  and  all 
times.  It  is  not  as  amusing  as  dashing  gaily  off  at 
a  flopping  canter  at  once,  but  you  are  learning  some- 
thing one  way,  and  less  than  nothing  the  other. 
Walk  "  figure  eights,"  and  find  out  how  your  horse 
bends  and  sways,  and  how  you  must  bend  and  sway 
with  him. 

When  ready  to  trot,  ride  without  rising  for  several 
days,  and  learn  to  sit  up,  to  let  the  horse's  mouth 
alone,  and  to  keep  your  balance.  When  ready  to 
rise,  or  to  "  post,"  as  it  is  called,  seize  the  right 
pommel  in  the  right  hand,  the  reins  in  the  left,  lean 
a  little  forward  at  the  waist,  let  the  horse  get  trot- 
ting steadily,  and  then  count  "  one,  two,  three,"  etc., 
each  count  marking  a  cadence  and  rise  and  fall, 
where  you  press  on  the  stirrup  and  on  the  pommel 
with  the  hand;  rise,  and  return  again.  Rising  is 
very  easy  to  learn,  and  it  is  only  necessary  to  get  the 
horse's  step,  and  not  to  try  too  hard.  Let  him  put 


Riding  for  Women  and  Children   147 

you  up  by  the  impulse  of  his  trot.  Always  sit  still, 
or  close,  a  few  strides  before  you  pull  up,  and  when 
you  pull,  lean  back,  and  not  forward  over  the  hands, 
as  so  many  do.  There  should  be  a  space  of  about 
three  inches  between  your  left  knee  and  the  leaping- 
horn,  that  you  may  have  room  to  rise  without 
chafing  the  thigh  against  it. 

To  canter,  elevate  the  heel  and  bring  the  knee 
snugly  up  under  the  leaping-horn;  sit  up;  grasp 
the  horns  well  between  the  knees;  kick  the  horse 
with  the  left  heel,  and  just  move  the  bits  in  his 
mouth;  sway  forward  and  to  the  right,  and  touch 
him  down  the  off  shoulder  with  the  whip  —  and  off 
he  goes.  He  must  always  lead  right-legged,  and 
never  with  any  other,  and  his  canter  must  neither 
be  disconnected  nor  accelerate  into  the  hand-gallop. 
Keep  him  up  to  his  bridle,  and  by  whip  and  heel  taps 
make  him  face  it,  and  bend  himself  as  he  must  to 
perform  the  pace  properly.  The  bit  and  bridoon 
will  now  come  into  play,  and  few  horses  will  canter 
collectedly  without  this  combination,  and  therefore 


148  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

you  must  learn  how  to  hold  it,  and  that  the  two 
bits  have  entirely  different  effects  and  purposes. 

You  may  hold  your  reins  any  way  that  conies 
handiest.  There  is  a  set  military  style,  but  never 
forget  that,  as  a  civilian,  you  have  no  use  whatever 
for  anything  set  and  formal,  and  that  nature  gave 
you  two  hands  to  use  and  not  to  dangle  aimlessly 
about.  You  may  carry  the  curb-reins  inside,  or  vice 
versa  —  one  way  is  as  good  as  the  other  —  but  what- 
ever method  you  adopt,  learn  to  shut  the  hands 
tight  and  to  keep  them  closed,  and  to  hold  the  reins 
firmly  as  they  are  placed.  When  you  can  do  this 
with  no  conscious  effort  you  will  make  an  advance 
that  most  people  do  not  learn  in  a  lifetime. 

Practise  doing  anything  that  will  make  you  at 
home  on  a  horse  —  open  gates,  put  down  and  take 
up  bars,  pick  up  sticks  or  light  chairs  (when  stand- 
ing still),  play  croquet,  or  polo,  or  ping-pong  on  him 
if  you  like,  and  never  be  satisfied  with  half-way 
measures.  Make  up  your  mind  that  of  all  your 
accomplishments  none  is  so  conspicuous,  and  if  you 
have  no  pride  for  yourself  and  in  your  own  appear- 


Photograph  by  T.  E.  Mjrr,  Bobtoii. 

Two  MODEL  SADDLE  -  HORSES. 

i.  JULEP,   ridden   by   Mrs.    James   L.    Kernochan.  —  2.  GLORIOUS 
RADIE,  owned  by  Thomas  W.  Lawson. 


Riding  for  Women  and  Children   149 

ance,  cultivate  it  for  the  sake  of  your  male  relatives 
and  acquaintances,  that  they  may  find  you  a  com- 
panion and  not  a  detriment,  a  help  and  not  a  burden, 
thoroughly  competent  and  not  hopelessly  helpless. 

Children  should  not  ride  before  they  are  old 
enough  to  intelligently  profit  by  instruction,  and 
some  of  the  very  worst  riders  one  will  find  are  from 
the  ranks  of  those  who  literally  rode  as  soon  as  they 
could  walk,  and  being  self-taught,  were  very  badly 
instructed.  Seven  or  eight  is  quite  young  enough, 
and  it  should  be  made  a  sine  qua  non  that  the  child 
must  care  for  its  pony,  clean,  feed,  and  saddle  it  — 
it's  all  a  part  of  the  education,  and  if  interest  flags, 
get  rid  of  the  little  beast  before  he  reaches  the  time 
when  indifference  breeds  neglect  and  familiarity 
contempt. 

Never  have  the  very  small  ponies,  nor  donkeys, 
at  any  price.  They  are  usually  low-headed,  hard- 
mouthed,  straight-shouldered,  thick-bodied,  treacher- 
ous little  wretches,  neither  half-broken  nor  quarter- 
mouthed.  Your  child  gets  heavy  hands  and  a 
callous  indifference  to  the  use  of  the  whip  almost 


150  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

at  once,  because  little  Topsy,  with  a  polar  bear's 
hide,  finds  a  beating  a  pleasant  sensation,  and  is 
utterly  indifferent  to  all  the  jerks  and  tugs  the  tiny 
hands  and  puny  arms  can  give  her. 

Children  are  mischievous,  and  once  they  think 
they  may  with  impunity,  attempt  all  kinds  of 
strange  performances  with  their  pets,  to  their  great 
discomfort.  They  need  constant  supervision,  and  if 
the  amusement  palls,  the  pony  should  go. 

The  little  horse  or  big  pony  of  about  fourteen 
hands  or  so  is  much  the  best,  because  he  lasts  longer 
for  the  children  to  grow  up  with,  is  better  broken, 
and  more  usually  docile,  and  may  be  genuinely 
useful  for  various  other  family  purposes  as  well  as 
lugging  the  infants  about. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

The  Family  Horse  and  the  Children's 
Pony 

THE  writer  cannot  lay  claim  to  many  virtues, 
but  he  has  refrained  from  two  misdeeds,  — 
an  abnegation  which  affords  him  unceasing  gratifi- 
cation, —  he  has  never  sold  a  horse  (but  once)  guar- 
anteed as  "  safe  for  a  woman  to  drive,"  and  he  has 
never  sold  a  pony  at  all,  as  "  clever  enough  for  chil- 
dren's use."  These  facts  do  not  at  all  prove  that 
there  are  not  many  animals  reliable  for  such  pur- 
poses —  the  roads  and  parkways  testify  to  the  con- 
trary; but  intimate  acquaintance  with  every  kind, 
size,  and  disposition  of  equine  flesh  has  afforded 
evidence  that  these  prophecies  are  generally  un- 
warranted, and  that  such  accomplishments  are 
claimed  most  unwisely  for  the  average  animal. 
It  is  astounding  that  so  many  purveyors  will 
sell  animals,  with  which  they  have  but  the  most 


152  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

casual  acquaintance,  as  safe  for  family  and  juve- 
nile use,  and  that  they  will  endow  the  beast  of 
the  moment  with  all  the  virtues  in  the  calendar. 
Not  only  the  "  gipsy  "  dealers  will  do  this,  but  the 
reputable  men  of  high  standing  in  their  calling ;  and 
as  a  general  thing  they  honestly  believe  what  they 
say,  for  the  reason  that,  in  their  hands,  the  proffered 
quadruped  displays  the  mildness  of  the  lamb,  and 
the  wisdom  of  the  serpent ;  nor  can  they  make  allow- 
ances for  the  bullying  propensities  of  the  creature 
which,  recognising  and  submitting  at  once  to  their 
experienced  handling,  proves  always  tractable  with 
them;  yet,  immediately  that  a  woman  or  child  is 
in  charge,  begins,  not  improbably,  experiments  to 
see  how  far  he  may  safely  proceed  in  insubordination 
and  in  mischief. 

The  "  general  purpose  "  horse  is  not  unusually  a 
"  no  purpose  "  horse :  a  brute  who,  failing  signally  at 
any  of  the  specialties,  is  thus  characterised  because 
he  has  learned  a  little  of  the  various  branches  he  has 
essayed  —  and  that  little  very  badly.  A  "  family 
horse  "  is  certain,  for  the  same  reason,  to  be  a  misfit 


Family  Horse  and  Children's  Pony   153 

in  some  directions.  If  spirited  enough  for  papa,  he 
is  too  bold  for  mother  and  the  children  to  drive ;  if 
quiet  enough  for  them,  he  is  usually  of  slow  and 
phlegmatic  nature,  and  the  man  of  the  house  scorn- 
fully repudiates  him.  He  is  hardly  likely  to  be  a 
trotter  one  day,  a  slave  the  next,  an  enduring  road- 
ster the  third,  and  a  satisfactory  saddle-conveyance 
on  the  fourth,  and  to  fill  in  his  spare  time  by  plough- 
ing the  garden,  hauling  manure,  and  bringing  home 
the  wash.  There  are  such  horses,  —  and  all  honour, 
a  'happy  life,  and  a  decent  burial  to  them,  —  but 
they  are  not  usually  for  sale,  unless  the  owner  is 
insane  or  bankrupt;  and  where  one  such  is  encoun- 
tered, a  thousand  are  met  that  are  in  no  way  depend- 
able or  satisfactory. 

A  woman  is  rarely  fitted  to  be  trusted  alone  with 
a  horse  —  this  means  the  abstract,  not  the  individual, 
female  —  because  she  is  generally  ignorant  of  the 
vagaries  of  any  horse  but  old  Billy  "  that  father 
kept  for  twenty  years,"  and  which  was  as  regular 
in  all  respects  as  the  kitchen  clock.  Every  new 
bit  of  horse-cloth  must  be  cut  according  to  Billy's 


154  OUF  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

coat  —  and  as  she  lacks  in  experience,  so  also  is  she 
in  proportion  deficient  in  toleration.  She  revels 
in  her  ignorance,  and  any  accident  which  scatters 
her  and  the  children  along  the  countryside  is  invaria- 
bly the  horse's  fault,  and  never  her  own  —  woe  the 
"  worser  "-half  who  would  dare  suggest  otherwise ! 

Again,  she  has  no  strength  in  her  wrists  or  arms ; 
she  has  never  been  taught  to  shut  her  hands  and  to 
hold  them  closed,  even  when  there  was  no  active 
resistance  from  reins,  etc. ;  she  generally  wears 
gloves  too  small,  or  so  confining  to  hand  and  wrist 
that,  if  she  double  up  her  fist,  it  must  open  freely 
in  a  moment,  from  sheer  inability  to  remain  closed, 
through  cramping  of  the  muscles.  If  then  she  suc- 
cessfully and  quite  unharmed  navigates  the  highways 
and  byways  for  extended  periods,  it  may  be  con- 
sidered but  another  of  the  many  wondrous  happen- 
ings of  the  age,  and  more  worthy  of  commemora- 
tion than  many  of  the  deeds  engraven  upon  tablets 
of  brass  and  monuments  of  stone. 

As  she  is  usually  ignorant  of  the  first  laws  of 
equitation,  so  also  is  she  guileless  of  any  knowledge 


Family  Horse  and  Children's  Pony   155 

as  to  how  to  act  if  accidents  occur :  what  repairs  to 
make;  whether  harness,  carriage,  etc.,  are  all  cor- 
rectly joined,  and  appropriate  liberty  allowed  the 
motive  power.  John  hies  him  to  the  city,  leaving 
Mary  and  the  children  to  the  tender  mercies  of  a 
hired  man  (who  probably  never  had  his  hand  on  a 
horse  until  he  came  to  America) ;  and  this  hireling 
attaches  the  roan  to  the  carryall  by  the  various  straps 
that  seem  appropriate,  and,  installing  the  family  in 
the  vehicle,  returns  to  his  job  of  banking  the  celery, 
turning  Mary  (and  the  children)  loose  upon  the 
public  thoroughfares  to  ply  her  aimless  way  amid 
the  varying  traffic,  a  menace  to  all  others,  and  a  not 
improbable  cause  of  destruction  to  herself  and 
family,  if  any  emergency  arise.  John!  John!  the 
sword  of  Damocles  hangs  over  your  bald  pate  as  you 
sit  serenely  in  your  office,  and  you  are  in  more  luck 
than  you  deserve  if  the  fool-killer  does  not  get  you 
some  fine  night  as  you  are  walking  up  from  the 
station ! 

No  man  has  any  right  to  entrust  a  woman  alone 
with  a  horse  —  no  matter  how  expert  she  is;    no 


156  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

woman  is  justified  in  assuming  such  risks  —  for  the 
general  public,  to  whom  she  is  a  perpetual  danger,  is 
worthy  of  as  much  or  more  consideration  than  she 
herself  deserves  when  she  thus  tempts  fate.  Remem- 
ber the  horse's  limitations  —  that  he  is  foolish  and 
timid  —  and  beware  how  you  trust  to  the  tempera- 
ment that  is  so  placid  arruong  familiar  sights  and 
sounds,  so  panic-stricken  if  anything  unexpected  or 
startling  to  it  occurs.  No  one  can  afford  to  keep  a 
horse  —  really  afford  it  in  every  sense  —  unless  he 
can  also  afford  to  hire  a  man;  not  a  dull  lump  of  a 
born  wood-hewer  and  water-drawer,  but  an  experi- 
enced, able  servant,  who  shall  accompany  the  wife 
and  family  upon  all  drives,  etc.  —  and  shame  on  the 
male  who  through  false  economy  neglects  these  pre- 
cautions. He  is  as  recreant  to  his  duties  as  husband 
and  father  as  to  those  devolving  upon  the  good 
citizen;  for  as  he  must  safeguard  his  own,  so 
should  he  allow  no  property  of  his  to  threaten  injury 
and  death  to  the  public  at  large.  Thus  equipped 
any  ordinarily  trained  animal  is  "safe  for  family 
use  "  —  but  otherwise,  none  is.  Cases  may  be  cited 


Family  Horse  and  Children's  Pony   157 

in  abundance  where  safety  has  endured  for  years, 
but  these  do  not  alter  the  main  facts,  nor  the  gen- 
eral truth  of  these  statements.  A  man  would  never 
dream  of  sending  out  his  family  alone  in  a  row-  or 
sail-boat,  yet  he  criminally  entrusts  them  all  to  the 
vagaries  of  a  dumb  beast;  and,  when  the  worst 
comes,  excuses  himself  for  what  may  have  been 
virtually  classed  as  manslaughter,  by  saying  that  he 
"  does  not  know  much  about  horses  anyway." 

The  family  horse  must  always  have  reached  years 
of  discretion  before  he  can,  by  any  possibility,  be 
entitled  to  safely  bear  the  appellation.  No  animal 
of  five  or  six  years  old  can  possibly  have  passed 
creditably  through  the  varied  experiences  which  such 
an  avocation  demands ;  for  the  family  steed  must  be 
as  nearly  a  stoic  under  every  possible  circumstance 
as  though  he  were  but  a  graven  image.  The  strange 
objects,  the  disconcerting  incidents  usual  along  and 
amid  ordinary  traffic  should  be  to  him  matters  of 
utter  indifference,  and  the  steam  from  a  buzzing, 
thumping  automobile  as  enjoyable  as  the  bang  and 
crash  of  an  explosion,  or  the  roar  and  rattle  of  a 


158  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

railroad  train.  Until  the  frivolities  of  youth  have 
been  laid  aside,  such  hardihood  is  not  to  be  ex- 
pected, and  as  there  is  no  royal  road  to  the  acquire- 
ment of  such  virtues,  the  experience  of  years  is 
the  only  safeguard.  The  animal  of  eight  to  twelve 
has  many  years  of  usefulness  before  him;  has 
experienced  many  of  the  eccentricities  of  nature  and 
of  mankind ;  and  is  sobered  by  the  realisation  of  his 
destiny.  If  he  is  at  this  period  fairly  sound,  active, 
sure-footed,  of  good  and  pliant  mouth,  average  wind 
and  eyesight,  and  fearless,  buy  him,  for  he  as  nearly 
fills  the  requirements  as  any  horse  possibly  can.  Be 
his  colour  what  it  will,  his  shape  as  may  chance,  all 
the  essentials  are  his  —  so  buy  and  be  thankful. 

If  the  family  horse  needs  appropriate  supervision, 
no  less  does  the  children's  pony.  These  little  brutes 
are  many  of  them  very  dangerous,  for  their  education 
has  never  seemed  exactly  a  man's  job,  and  they  have 
been  so  easy  for  a  grown  person  to  haul  about  as  he 
pleased,  that  deportment  has  rarely  been  carefully 
and  thoroughly  impressed  upon  them.  They  seldom 
get  properly  bitted,  and  they  have  usually  been  so 


PONY  OUTFITS. 
I.  Alone  in  his  glory.  —  2.  The  more  the  merrier. 


Family  Horse  and  Children's  Pony   159 

petted  and  proved  so  tractable,  that  never  once  has 
any  difficulty  arisen  in  their  training;  never  once 
has  occurred  that  first  insubordination,  followed  by 
prompt  and  complete  correction,  which  is  so  impress- 
ive to  all  juvenile  minds,  and  if  futile,  never  for- 
gotten. As  the  average  pony  is  half-bitted  and 
mouthed,  so  is  he  usually  short,  thick,  and  straight 
of  neck,  narrow  of  jaw,  and  low  of  head.  His  deci- 
sion to  do  anything  or  to  go  anywhere  can  rarely  be 
successfully  combated  by  the  tiny  hands  and  puny 
strength  of  his  little  owner,  and  once  his  bullying 
propensities  have  assured  him  that  he  may  do  as 
he  likes,  he  proceeds  to  indulge  his  whims  at  his 
own  sweet  will,  nor  has  the  young  steersman  any  idea 
of  how  to  correct  the  rebellion,  nor  his  parents  of 
how  serious  the  matter  is  becoming,  until  some  day 
there  comes  a  smash. 

People  will  persist  in  buying  lots  of  such  little 
wretches  for  their  children,  simply  because  they  are 
cheap.  In  no  way  can  they  so  injure  the  future  of 
their  offspring  as  horsemen.  If  dull  and  phlegmatic, 
the  little  brutes  submit  to  an  amount  of  jerking  and 


160  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

thrashing  which  im'bues  the  childish  mind  with  the 
idea  that  any  creature  can  be  mauled  about  in  the 
same  way,  and  that  as  Inkling  never  seems  to  heed 
the  vigorous  applications  of  .the  whip  to  his  shaggy 
black  hide,  there  is  no  cruelty  in  thus  beating  any 
animal ;  while,  if  he  may  be  jerked  and  kicked  with 
impunity,  so  may  any  of  his  kind.  Your  boy  thus 
grows  up  with  the  worst  of  "  hands  "  on  a  horse's 
mouth,  and  with  a  callous  indifference  as  to  suffering 
ingrained  in  his  nature;  and,  if  the  average  little 
pony  makes  this  probable,  the  useless  donkey  renders 
it  certain. 

Whatever  else  you  economise  on,  never  do  it  when 
buying  ponies,  and  when  you  get  one,  if  not  a  horse- 
man yourself,  send  it  to  some  one  who  is,  and  have 
it  thoroughly  and  completely  trained,  mouthed,  and 
bitted,  as  if  it  were  just  fresh  and  wild  from 
the  plains.  If  you  can't  afford  this,  don't  keep  a 
pony.  Let  it  be  smart,  spirited,  active,  carrying  a 
good  arched  neck,  thin  through  the  body,  that  the 
little  legs  may  clasp  him  securely.  Teach  your  child 
to  respect  its  courageous  traits,  and  allow  him,  under 


Family  Horse  and  Children's  Pony   161 

competent  supervision,  to  use  it  at  his  pleasure,  but 
make  him  tend  it  in  every  detail  of  food,  care,  and 
equipment  as  well  —  and  if  these  pursuits  fail  of 
interest,  sell  the  animal  forthwith.  Familiarity, 
breeds  contempt,  and  children  are  mischievous.  As1 
soon  as  interest  flags,  they  will  begin  to  essay  new 
feats,  and  to  make  various  experiments  with  their 
charge.  As  long  as  he  submits,  all  well  and  good, 
but  the  time  may  come  when  he  will  not,  and  then 
look  out! 

Children  are  kept  at  the  "  pony  age  "  too  long, 
and  these  very  small  ponies  are  of  little  practical  use. 
A  little  horse  of  14.1  or  .2  is  more  satisfactory  in 
every  way,  better  shaped,  better  trained,  lasts  the 
growing  child  longer,  can  be  converted  to  various 
family  uses  in  a  really  practical  way,  is  less  expensive 
to  buy  than  the  tiny  ones,  and  eats  very  little  more. 
There  is  not  one  argument  in  favour  of  the  small 
beast,  save  that,  if  the  child  falls  off,  he  has  not 
far  to  go.  This  argument  has  little  force,  for  the 
number  of  times  a  tricky  little  brute  will  put  him 


1 62  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

off  will  more  than  compensate  —  and  the  well-trained 
little  horse  or  large  pony  is  unlikely  to  attempt  it. 

No  child  should  be  allowed  to  handle  any  animal 
unless  properly  supervised,  and  all  their  pets  should 
be  of  an  age  and  size  ably  to  resist  abuse.  Scratches, 
bites,  bruises,  and  cuts  may  ensue,  but  every  physical 
mark  leaves  a  mental  imprint  to  correspond,  and 
not  too  soon,  nor  too  thoroughly,  can  children  be 
impressed  with  the  idea  that  every  creature  has 
rights  which  must  be  respected,  methods  of  reprisal 
which  may  prove  painful,  and  tempers  with  which 
it  is  unwise  to  tamper. 


Photographs  by  T.  E.  Murr,  Boston. 

PERFECT  STYLE  AND  ACTION. 

i.  GLORIOUS  BLACK  VENUS.  —  2.  GLORIOUS  BONNIE. 
Both  owned  by  Thomas  W.  Lavvson. 


CHAPTER   V. 
The  Roadster 

WE  do  not  all  fancy  the  heavy  harness, 
or  the  ride  and  drive  horse,  and  there 
is  an  ever  increasing  contingent  which  prefers 
the  typical  American  road-horse:  the  animal  which 
can  "  step  away  "  at  a  pace  from  "  pretty  good  "  to 
very  fast,  serving  also,  as  ably,  at  various  family 
duties.  Such  owners  generally  keep  among  their 
equine  accoutrements  a  light  wagon  and  harness, 
so  that,  when  time  allows  a  little  leisure,  they  may 
disport  themselves  along^  the  public  roads,  or  upon 
the  local  race-track,  "  seeking  whom  they  may 
devour"  among  their  acquaintances,  and  bidding 
defiance  to  all  similarly  equipped.  There  is  no  out- 
door amusement,  bar  croquet  and  golf,  at  which  all 
ages  may  so  equally  meet  in  competition,  and  the 
wholesome  excitement  and  fresh  air,  thus  provided 

163 


164  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

and  absorbed,  add  many  a  long  year  to  the  future, 
and  many  an  enjoyable  hour  to  the  present. 

Fast  horses  are  comparatively  cheap  nowadays, 
and  as  a  rule  uncommonly  well-broken.  Your  ster- 
ling old  campaigner  of  ten  or  twelve  years  of  age 
has  been  through  so  much  excitement  on  race- 
courses, and  in  travelling  on  railroad  trains,  that 
he  views  with  equanimity  sights  that  would  appall 
his  juniors ;  while  the  mere  fact  that,  at  such  an  age, 
he  is  still  able  and  well  preserved,  proves  him  robust 
and  well-constitutioned  above  the  average  of  his 
kind.  He  may  display  about  him  the  honourable 
scars  of  his  calling  in  prominent  wind-galls,  and 
legs  not  quite  as  symmetrical  as  of  yore,  but  you 
buy  him  with  all  —  or  most  —  of  his  deficiencies 
plainly  visible,  and  as  the  fresh  air  hums  by  your 
ears,  and  the  flush  of  excitement  dyes  your  cheeks, 
you  will  find,  in  increased  appetite  and  wholesome 
sleep,  many  occasions  to  "  rise  up  and  call  him 
blessed,"  and  to  bear  him  ever  in  grateful  recollec- 
tion for  the  pleasure  afforded  you  and  yours. 

The  fast  pacer  is  the  easiest  to  find,  the  cheapest 


The  Roadster  165 

to  buy,  and  the  handiest  to  drive.  Not  a  few  of 
them  jog,  and  go  on  up  to  a  ten-mile-an-hour  gait, 
at  a  square  trot ;  so  that  no  one  would  suspect  them 
of  the  "  side-wheeling  "  instinct  until  you  "  cl'k  " 
to  them,  and  take  hold  of  their  heads  for  a  bit  of  a 
brush.  The  modern  pacer,  unlike  his  prototype  of 
twenty  years  or  more  ago,  looks  exactly  like  a  trot- 
ter, and  displays  little  or  no  pacing  conformation  in 
his  make-up.  Most  of  them  turn  out  their  toes,  and 
that  seems  a  peculiarity  which  rather  assists  at  this 
particular  gait  —  but  whether  as  cause  or  effect 
is  not  known.  They  are  gaining  in  favour  as  road- 
sters every  day,  and  one  will  find  twenty  in  use 
where,  ten  years  ago,  not  any  were  to  be  seen. 

The  trotter  is  also  in  fair  supply,  but  the  very  fast 
horse  at  this  gait  costs  money,  and  is  usually  more 
difficult  to  engineer  than  the  other ;  more  likely  to 
over-pace  himself,  and,  in  inexperienced  hands,  to 
go  to  hitching  and  hopping,  and  to  become  foul- 
gaited  through  ignorant  methods  of  driving  and 
balancing  him.  He  not  infrequently  takes  rather  a 
sharp  hold  of  the  bit  when  at  speed,  and  is  not 


1 66  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

the  all-round  useful  slave  that  his  less  pretentious 
brother-in-leather  becomes.  Of  course,  many  people 
detest  pacers,  and  dislike  the  sidelong  gait,  nor,  in 
sleighing  time,  will  the  former  provide  as  much 
sport,  for  the  reason  that,  except  on  ice  or  very 
smooth  snow,  his  gait  is  seriously  interfered  with, 
and  he  is  not  unlikely  to  shift  into  the  trot  as  an 
easier  form  of  locomotion. 

It  is  another  evidence  of  the  superficial  way  in 
which  we  observe  things  that  our  roadsters  are  so 
severely  and  cruelly  overchecked.  We  see  horses 
on  the  track  for  a  race,  and  we  notice  that  the  head 
is  checked  up  to  a  certain  altitude.  Later,  possibly, 
we  acquire  the  animal  by  purchase,  and  from  that 
day  on  the  unfortunate  creature  is  compelled  to 
carry  his  nose  at  the  same  angle,  whether  he  is  out 
one  hour  or  six;  goes  one  mile  or  forty.  We 
ignore  entirely  the  fact  —  and  to  our  eternal  shame 
be  it  that  we  are  thus  careless  and  indifferent  —  that 
when  we  saw  the  horse  in  his  race  his  head  had  not 
been  thus  confined  for  more  than  a  few  minutes 
before  we  noticed  him  (or  at  the  time  he  first  came 


The  Roadster  167 

out),  and  that  the  instant  the  heat  was  over,  his 
attendant  immediately  let  him  free,  to  be  again  con- 
fined only  when  about  to  contest  the  succeeding 
heat,  at  an  interval  of  twenty  minutes.  We  are 
also  ignorant  of  the  fact  that  in  all  his  slow,  or 
jogging  work,  his  head  is  left  entirely  free  —  and 
this  exercise  corresponds  to  the  drives  we  give  him 
on  the  road.  No  wonder  the  poor  sufferer,  in  his 
discomfort  and  agony,  pulls,  drives  on  one  rein,  and 
does  any  or  all  of  the  curious  and  annoying  things 
common  to  horses  thus  hampered.  No  road-horse 
needs  the  overdraw  check,  and  it  is  an  infernal  ma- 
chine of  the  most  scientific  make :  well  enough  in  its 
place,  and  for  the  special  purpose  for  which  it  was 
made,  but  utterly  out  of  reason,  or  need,  in  the  pri- 
vate stable.  The  high  side-checks,  with  the  loops 
sewn  upon  the  crown-piece  of  the  bridle  (and  not  af- 
fixed to  the  throat-latch),  are  more  natural,  comfort- 
able, graceful,  and  equally  effective ;  and  they  should 
always  be  worn  fairly  loose  in  ordinary  driving  — 
it  is  but  the  work  of  a  moment  to  take  them  up  a 
few  holes  if  about  to  indulge  in  fast  brushing.  More 


1 68  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

horses  than  one  would  believe  go  equally  well  with 
the  head  entirely  free  from  Check-rein,  and  if  allowed 
the  chance  would  prove  the  fact.  The  side-check 
should  always  be  fastened  to  another  bit,  that  the 
driving-bit  may  be  entirely  separate  from  it. 

The  driving-bit  should  be  as  large  and  easy  as 
comfortable  driving  allows,  and  if  the  horse  opens 
his  mouth  at  speed,  or  at  slow  paces,  he  must  be 
made  to  keep  it  closed  by  a  nose-band  or  other 
arrangement  fairly  closely  buckled.  He  not  only 
looks  badly  with  his  mouth  yawning  wide,  but  he 
drives  awkwardly,  and  not  infrequently  carries  his 
tongue  over  the  bit.  He  deserves  all  the  comfort  you 
can  give  him,  but  when  it  reaches  the  point  where 
either  you  or  he  must  suffer,  it  is  his  unfortunate 
prerogative  to  go  to  the  wall  in  your  favour. 

Your  road-horse  demands  ample  freedom  of 
breeching,  and  a  long  trace,  in  order  that  at  speed 
he  may  have  full  scope,  and  yet  may  run  no  risk 
of  hitting  his  hocks.  His  belly-band  should  be 
tight,  that  the  shoulder  swing  may  not  convey  too 
much  motion  to  the  wagon.  This  is  overcome  in 


The  Roadster  169 

the  sulky  or  very  light  speeding  wagon  by  carrying 
the  tugs  well  up  the  sides,  and  thus  escaping  the 
motion,  but  one  can  hardly  do  that  in  the  ordinary 
road-wagon  without  presenting  a  grotesque  appear- 
ance to  eyes  accustomed  to  other  and  ordinary 
arrangements. 

An  open  bridle  is  far  more  comfortable  to  the 
horse,  and  much  cooler,  but  is  not  safe  upon  all  of 
them,  and  its  constant  use  tends  to  make  the  animal 
sluggish,  since  he  can  see  exactly  what  you  are 
doing,  and  learn  to  be  very  cunning;  while  he 
anticipates  every  motion  toward  the  whip  by  nearly 
jumping  through  his  harness.  Again,  his  head 
must  be  really  finely  proportioned  to  look  well  thus 
unadorned,  and  not  all  of  our  pets  (of  this  variety) 
possess  the  grace  or  beauties  of  the  sculptured  steed. 

Buy  no  horse  that  wears  boots,  for  if  these  were 
necessary  when  he  enjoyed  expert  handling,  they 
will  be  doubly  essential  under  your  careless  manage- 
ment. Even  scars  and  white  'hairs  where  boot- 
straps may  have  chafed,  are  to  be  regarded  with 
suspicion;  for  scientific  shoeing  nowadays  corrects 


170  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

many  faults,  and  the  marks  are  a  probable  proof 
that  there  was  a  time  when  they  did  not  —  which 
period  will  return  again,  it  is  likely,  when  you  and 
the  boys  begin  to  start  him  up  along  speedway  and 
roadside. 

A  good  roadster  should  not  pull  at  speed,  and, 
if  he  does,  try  to  find  the  reason.  His  teeth  and 
cheeks  may  hurt  him;  he  may  be  brushing  himself 
somewhere ;  there  are  dozens  of  reasons  which  may 
make  him  take  up  the  trick.  If  he  should  do  so, 
do  not  be  in  too  much  of  a  hurry  to  arrange  harsher 
bits,  but  give  him  time  (and  take  it  yourself)  for 
experiment  and  investigation  —  perhaps  he  will 
show  you  what  is  wrong,  and  possibly  the  trick  is 
but  temporary.  He  should  drive  true  and  straight 
always ;  should  jog,  speed,  or  walk  as  directed,  and 
in  any  ratio  of  progress,  and  among  any  company; 
should  never  pull  or  fret  at  any  pace;  and  be  as 
level-headed  in  a  bunch  of  fast  ones  at  speed  as  when 
jogging  down  to  the  station  with  the  family  behind 
him  —  and  all  this,  properly  handled,  he  will  prove. 

When  it  comes  to  considering  the  weight  of  the 


The  Roadster  171 

wagon  to  be  used  for  fast  driving,  it  will  be  found 
that  the  modern  very  light  vehicles  of  from  fifty  to 
eighty  pounds  present  few  advantages  from  their 
excessive  lightness.  They  are,  of  course,  perfectly 
trustworthy  and  thoroughly  reliable  so  far  as  safety 
goes,  but  naturally  they  are  almost  springless,  and 
they  are  most  uncomfortable  for  any  road  but  the 
perfectly  surfaced  speedways  or  the  race-tracks. 
They  carry  no  backs  to  the  seats,  they  barely  accom- 
modate one  man,  and  they  are  not  "  road- wagons  " 
at  all,  but  merely  machines  masquerading  under  that 
name,  designed  for  purposes  of  covering  a  short  dis- 
tance at  high  speed.  They  have  been  recognised  in 
one  or  two  of  our  horse  shows  as  road-wagons,  but 
that  does  not  affect  the  point  at  issue.  No  specially 
good  results  accrue  from  their  slender  construction, 
for  it  is  a  fact  that  the  average  road-horse  needs  a 
certain  amount  of  weight  to  steady  him  at  speed. 
Rough-gaited  horses  also  generally  go  much 
smoother  when  drawing  a  four-wheeled  vehicle 
that  has  some  weight  to  it,  and  the  genuine  road- 
wagon  of  the  usual  type,  carrying  a  top  and  hold- 


172  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

c 

ing  comfortably  one  man,  as  well  as  the  impedimenta 
needed  on  such  outings,  is  light  enough  for  all  prac- 
tical purposes,  thoroughly  comfortable,  and  will  be 
drawn  by  the  average  horse  at  quite  as  fast  a  pace. 

In  this  connection,  it  may  be  mentioned  that  the 
extraordinary  skill  of  our  native  mecjianics  produces 
to-day  a  "  road  or  speedway  "  wagon  strong  enough 
to  carry  a  man  weighing  two  hundred  and  fifty 
pounds  or  more,  which  tips  the  scales,  including  the 
cushions,  etc.,  at  forty-six  pounds!  Of  this  total, 
it  is  said  that  the  paint,  varnish,  leather  for  dash 
and  shafts,  and  the  cushion,  weigh  together  about 
fourteen  pounds  —  so  that  this  wonderful  vehicle, 
untrimmed,  scales  only  thirty-two  pounds!  The 
average  top  wagon  for  one  main  weighs  from  ninety 
pounds  to  one  hundred  and  twenty  pounds,  and  this 
is  not  heavy  enough  to  affect  the  speed  of  any  horse 
in  the  short  brushes  of  half  a  mile  or  so  which 
comprise  the  usual  road  contests. 

A  roadster  should  always  have  size  —  he  should 
be  at  least  15.1^,  and  from  that  to  15.3;  he  should 
be  of  good  appearance  standing  or  moving ;  of  easy, 


The  Roadster  173 

f rictionless  gait  at  both  slow  and  fast  paces ;  a  fast 
and  free  walker;  fearless,  and  should  go  at  all  his 
paces  without  pulling.  The  temptation  is  always 
to  buy  a  rather  small  horse,  for  one  reason  because 
there  are  more  of  them,  and  hence  they  are  more 
easily  found,  and  for  another,  because  they  are  sup- 
posed to  be  more  easily  kept.  This  last  recom- 
mendation is  a  usual  attribute,  and  the  small  horse 
has  all  the  best  of  it  if  he  is  thick  through  —  "  to 
meet  and  to  follow,"  as  the  dealers  say  —  wide  in 
proportion  to  height.  The  narrow  horse  of  any 
height  is  to  be  discarded,  for  there  seems  to  be  a 
lack  of  storage  room  for  the  vital  organs  —  heart, 
lungs,  and  stomach  —  which  carries  with  it  a 
delicacy  of  constitution  that  is  not  desirable.  The 
sturdy  little  horse  is  generally  as  able  as  he  looks, 
and  this  means  a  good  deal  if  a  roadster  is  to  be 
such  in  fact  as  well  as  name,  and  to  cover  his  twenty 
or  thirty  miles  on  demand  as  a  good  horse  should, 
repeating  the  trip  if  necessary  on  several  consecutive 
days. 

American  types  of  horses,  carriages,  and  harness, 


174  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

are  winning  their  way  by  sheer  force  of  merit  in  all 
parts  of  the  world,  and  it  is  regrettable  that  we  do 
not  more  generally  adhere  to  native  styles  and 
constructions  at  home,  instead  of  aping  foreign  fash- 
ions, many  of  which  do  not  flourish  or  acclimatise 
successfully. 

For  comfort,  elegance,  and  lightness  of  draft  and 
durability,  no  better  vehicles  are  made  than  our  bug- 
gies, runabouts,  rockaways,  etc.;  our  harnesses  are 
perfect  in  proportion,  light  and  strong;  our  horses, 
unmutilated  as  to  tails  and  manes,  are  suitable  to 
their  accoutrements,  and  through  their  abilities  in 
the  way  of  speed  and  endurance,  can  propel  our 
carriages  farther  and  faster  than  any  horses  now  in 
service.  The  American  roadster  and  road-wagon  are 
typical  of  a  people  strong  in  individuality,  and  are 
a  development  so  peculiarly  our  own  that  we  should 
not  forget,  nor  allow  the  world  to  overlook  it. 

As  an  epitome  of  nervous  energy,  speed,  en- 
durance and  hustle  —  the  personification  of  "  git 
thar"  —  they  as  thoroughly  embody  the  charac- 
teristics which  have  made  America  and  Americans 


The  Roadster  175 

what  they  are  as  any  other  combination  that  can  be 
named.  With  a  wonderful  past,  an  astonishing 
present,  and  a  boundless  future,  the  American  light 
harness  horse  is  worthy  of  the  most  careful  foster- 
ing and  promotion,  and  it  is  our  duty  that  his 
leading  characteristics  of  speed  and  endurance  be 
kept  always  before  the  world  at  large. 


CHAPTER    VI. 
A  Plea  for  the  Pony 

AMERICA  is  the  only  country  in  the  world 
which  does  not  actively  utilise  the  pony, 
in  some  of  his  many  varying  heights  and 
weights,  both  for  pleasure  and  business.  Of  course 
this  has  hitherto  been  reasonably  attributed  to  the 
fact  that  horses  of  all  kinds  were  so  cheap  that  no 
special  reason  existed  for  drawing  to  any  extent  upon 
the  ranks  of  the  smaller  fry  to  take  the  place  and  per- 
form the  duties  so  inexpensively  rendered  by  the 
larger;  and  again  there  has  always  existed  the 
feeling  that  it  was  infra  dig.  for  the  grown  man  or 
woman,  or  the  tradesman,  to  be  seen  behind  these 
Liliputians  —  an  opinion  which,  while  somewhat 
weakened,  still  holds  good  in  the  majority  of 
instances. 

This  is  all  fast  changing,  and  the  pony,  or  his 
176 


0  ! 


A  Plea  for  the  Pony  177 

more  able  confrere  the  cob,  is  destined  to  receive 
tardy  recognition  for  what  he  is  —  the  ablest,  most 
enduring,  and  most  useful  little  beast  we  find 
wrapped  in  horsehide.  The  term  "  cob,"  by  the  way, 
has  in  America,  since  its  adoption  as  a  wprd  in 
general  use,  been  greatly  misconstrued,  and  is  ap- 
plied erroneously  to  animals  from  15.2  to  16  hands. 
The  phrase  has  more  to  do  with  shape  than  size,  it  is 
true,  but  the  true  "cob"  never  exceeds  15  hands, 
and  is  generally  between  that  height  and  a  hand 
lower,  although  "  cobby-built  "  ponies  and  horses 
are  found  of  all  heights.  We  have  never  differ- 
entiated between  the  types  in  our  show  rings,  and 
the  entries  in  a  pony  class  may  be  all  cobs,  or  the 
reverse.  The  cob  is  stout  and  blockily  built,  thick 
through,  and  a  "  big  little  one,"  as  the  dealers  say, 
not  unusually  tending  rather  to  coarseness,  and  dis- 
playing in  his  general  make-up  and  finish  a  lack  of 
good  breeding.  Many  cobs,  however,  are  full  of 
quality  and  finely  finished  at  every  point,  and 
these,  if  possessed  of  pace  and  action,  bring  very 
large  figures. 


I/S  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

In  another  chapter  the  writer  has  cast  various 
aspersions  upon  the  character  of  the  average  pony 
and  his  sins  of  omission  and  commission.  This  he 
by  no  means  qualifies  here,  but  would  say  that  there 
are  ponies  and  ponies,  and  that  the  properly  trained, 
well-shaped  little  animal  is  worthy,  able,  and  to  be 
desired  —  the  half-broken,  low-headed,  vulgar  little 
beast  so  often  met  with,  being  the  one  especially  ful- 
minated against. 

Almost  any  one  can  afford  a  pony,  and  accommo- 
dations that  will  answer  for  a  goat  or  a  cow  will 
perfectly  suit  him.  His  first  cost,  and  that  of  his 
equipage,  is  very  small,  and  his  endurance  and 
ability  is  fully  up  to  that  of  the  average  horse,  both 
in  the  amount  of  weight  in  proportion  to  his  own 
bulk  which  he  can  handle,  and  in  the  miles  he  can 
cover,  the  pace  he  can  travel.  Not  one  pony  in 
a  thousand  gets  work  enough,  and  they  thrive  on 
a  fare  that  would  put  a  horse  out  of  business  in 
short  order.  A  fourteen-hand  pony  is  as  useful  in 
every  way  as  a  horse,  whether  under  the  saddle  or 
in  harness;  while  those  of  lesser  height  might  well 


A  Plea  for  the  Pony  179 

perform,  singly  and  in  pairs,  about  the  usual  work 
demanded  from  the  family  horse  at  much  less  than 
half  the  cost.  Our  tradesmen  would  find  them  just 
the  thing  for  all  light-delivery  work,  and  instead  of 
using  them  only  occasionally,  as  at  present,  and 
then  more  for  advertising  purposes  than  for  actual 
labour,  they  could  capably  perform  all  such  tasks; 
lasting  on  the  city  stones  much  longer  than  the 
horses  generally  secured. 

According  to  heights  the  average  cost  of  a  pony 
is  in  inverse  ratio  to  that  of  a  horse;  thus  the 
smaller  the  pony  the  greater  the  original  outlay. 
The  very  tiny  things  of  ten  to  eleven  hands  are 
seldom  properly  broken,  and  these  are  really  too 
small  for  much  genuinely  important  service,  while 
their  cost  runs  to  extraordinary  figures,  those  of 
fine  finish  and  quality  bringing  commonly  "  a  dollar 
a  pound,"  and  even  twice  and  thrice  that  price. 
Such  as  the  Shelties,  the  smaller  Scotch  ponies,  etc., 
come  under  this  head,  and  there  is  hardly  one  of 
them  whose  place  could  not  be  more  ably  filled  by 
an  animal  of  from  four  to  eight  inches  more  stature; 


180  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

being  thus,  if  used  by  children,  of  longer  service, 
since  the  youngsters  do  not  so  readily  outgrow  them. 
Indeed,  the  very  small  ponies  are  used  principally 
by  children,  who  perhaps  would  do  as  well  to  wait 
until  greater  age  brought  increased  capacity,  not 
only  for  absorbing,  but  for  utilising,  the  knowledge 
of  riding  and  driving,  which  such  experiences  are 
intended  primarily  to  promote,  and  even  for  such  use 
the  larger  are  more  docile  and  less  tricky,  more  like 
horses  and  less  like  little  scoundrels.  Nor  are  the 
very  little  things  so  proportionately  narrow  through 
where  their  young  riders'  tiny  legs  must  strive  to 
clasp,  that  any  advantage  is  gained  by  employing 
them,  for  they  are  generally  straight  and  heavy 
shouldered,  and  hugely  overburdened  with  flesh, 
through  full  feeding  and  light  exercise.  The  larger 
pony  is  much  oftener  narrow  and  true-made 
throughout,  and  quite  sufficiently  so  for  the  child 
who  begins  really  to  ride  at  a  suitable  age,  and  not  at 
the  tender  period  which  so  often  brings  accidents  in 
its  train  when  equestrianism  is  unwisely  attempted. 
A  child  has  not  far  to  fall  if  thrown  from  a  small 


A  Plea  for  the  Pony  181 

pony,  but  he  will  be  put  off  so  many  times  by  the 
little  beast's  trickery  that  its  diminutive  size  has 
no  compensating  advantage. 

A  stout  pony,  of  13  to  14.2  hands,  costs  very  little, 
—  a  plain,  useful,  quiet  ride  and  drive  sort  from 
$75  to  $125  and  possibly  less.  His  harness  will  run 
to  as  little  as  $10  and  not  over  $30;  a  trap  for  him 
to  about  $50  to  $100,  if  any  of  the  auction-rooms 
are  watched.  A  second-hand  saddle  and  bridle  costs 
but  a  trifle,  —  say  $20,  —  and  the  family  is  equipped 
for  about  $150  to  $250,  with  an  outfit  which  will  not 
only  amuse  the  children,  but  do  solid  work  for  the 
elders;  while  on  a  small  country  place  the  pony 
may  also  pull  the  lawn-mower  and  do  other  odd 
jobs  if  a  small  wagon  or  cart  is  obtained.  Any 
corner  of  the  cow-'house,  wood-shed,  or  other  out- 
building will  answer  for  a  stable;  all  sorts  of  odds 
and  ends  of  food  will  be  welcomed  by  it,  for  ponies 
are  always  hardy  doers;  or  if  hay  and  grain  fed, 
a  mere  trifle  monthly  will  satisfy  all  feed  bills* 
Shoes  are  rarely  needed  at  all,  or  if  so,  only  in  front, 


1 82  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

where  the   ever-useful   "  tip "   will   find   its  most 
appropriate  place. 

The  grade  Exmoors,  the  larger  Scotch  ponies,  the 
Virginia  and  South  Carolina  "  tackies,"  the  mus- 
tang and  Indian  ponies,  and  the  dwarf  trotting-bred 
animals,  all  come  under  the  head  of  the  highly  useful 
and  inexpensive,  and  the  stouter,  thicker,  and 
heavier  they  are,  the  better  they  will  replace  the 
larger  animals.  Many  branded  ponies,  bronchos  so- 
called,  make  excellent  all-round  family  slaves,  and 
often  may  be  had  for  a  mere  song,  while  the  majority 
are  as  well  trained  as  any  animal,  and  the  idea  to  the 
contrary  is  a  mere  bugaboo  of  tradition  and  of 
Buffalo  Bill's  show,  wlhose  "  spoiled  horses,"  as 
they  are  and  are  called,  have  helped  condemn  every 
beast  disfigured  by  the  branding-iron.  There  is 
nothing  about  the  plains  pony  per  se  which  tends 
to  render  him  less  amenable  to  discipline  than  any 
other  of  his  race,  and  competent  handling  is  now 
much  more  general  in  the  West  than  it  was  at  the 
time  when  he  acquired  his  fiendish  reputation,  so 
that  the  broncho  of  to-day  is  probably  as  well-trained 


Two  SPORTY  PONIES. 

I.  BO-PEEP,  owned  by  R.  F.  Carman.  —  2.  DONCASTER  MODEL, 
driven  by  Mrs.  John  Gerken. 


A  Plea  for  the  Pony  183 

and  as  kindly  disposed  as  any  other  animal  on  offer 
for  general  ride  and  drive  purposes. 

While  perhaps  the  pony  height  of  14.1  or  14.2  is 
rather  a  small  standard  to  preserve  throughout  a 
whole  stud,  it  is  beyond  doubt  true  that  any  one 
living  in  the  country  will  do  well  from  all  points  of 
argument  and  usage  to  approximate  this  size  closely, 
and  not  to  exceed  two  or  three  inches  more  in 
height.  For  riding  or  driving,  these  sizes  are  more 
generally  handy  and  enduring,  while  they  may  be 
doubled  and  quadrupled  in  pair,  four,  or  tandem 
fashion,  as  occasion  demands.  The  small  saddle- 
horse  is  much  easier  to  mount  and  dismount,  and 
therefore  more  suitable  to  the  uses  of  all  the  family, 
young  as  well  as  old ;  while  in  almost  every  locality 
there  is  always  to  be  found  an  abundance  of  small 
native  horses,  cheap  to  purchase,  and  inured  to  hard 
work  and  long  drives,  which  would  promptly  place 
their  larger  stable  mates  on  the  shelf  for  repairs. 
Naturally  the  sizes  and  shapes  of  vehicles  and  har- 
ness must  be  suited  to  the  animals  used  with  them, 
and  it  will  be  found  that  satisfaction  universally 


184  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

accrues  from  this  elimination  of  the  large  and 
adherence  to  the  small  horse,  for  all  people  living 
out  of  town. 

Tradesmen  of  all  descriptions  will  find  the  little 
horse  or  large  pony  much  more  useful  in  their  busi- 
nesses, and  that  he  will  handle  weight  as  speedily 
and  promptly  as  the  big  brutes,  endure  many  more 
years,  and  cost  not  half  as  much  either  to  purchase 
or  to  maintain.  In  him  will  the  automobile  find 
its  most  determined  foe,  and  as  he  ably  succeeds 
his  more  massive  and  taller  relative,  so  will  he 
long  continue  to  render  appropriate  the  following 
logical  and  exultant  verses: 

UNCLE  HENRY  ON  PASSING  OF  THE  HORSE 
(S.  E.  Kiser  in  Chicago  Record-Herald) 

Every  little  while  they  tell  us  that  the  horse  has  got  to  go; 
First  the  trolley  was  invented,  'cause  the  horses  went  so  slow, 
And  they  told  us  that  we'd  better  not  keep  raisin'  colts  no 

more; 
When  the  street-cars  got  to  motlng  that  the  horses  pulled 

before, 


A  Plea  for  the  Pony  185 

I  thought  it  was  all  over  for  old  Fan  and  Doll  and  Kit, 
S'posed  the  horse  was  up  and  done  for, 
But 
he 

ain't 
went 
jit 

When  the  bike  craze  first  got  started,  people  told  us  right 

away, 

As  you  probably  remember,  that  the  horse  had  saw  his  day. 
People  put  away  their  buggies   and   went   kitin'   'round   on 

wheels  ; 
There  were  lots  and  lots  of  horses  didn't  even  earn  their 

meals. 
I  used  to  stand  and  watch  'em  with  their  bloomers,  as  they'd 

flit, 

And  I  thought  the  horse  was  goin', 
But 
he 

ain't 
went 


Then  they  got  the  horseless  carriage,  and  they  said  the  horse 

was  done, 
And  the  story'i  been  repeated  twent/  times  by  Edison; 


1 86  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

Every  time  he  gits  another  of  his  batteries  to  go,. 

He  comes  whoopin'  out  to  tell  us  that  the  horse  don't  stand 

a  show. 
And    you'd    think    to    see    these    chaffeurs,    as    they    go 

a-chauffin',  it 

Was  good-by  to  Mr.  Dobbin. 
But 
he 

ain't 
went 
yit 

When  the  people  git  to  flyin'  in  the  air,  I  s'pose  they'll  say, 
As  we  long  have  been  a-sayin',  that  the  horse  has  had  his  day,. 
And  I  s'pose  that  some  old  feller  jist  about  like  me'll  stand 
Where  it's  safe  and  watch  the  horses  haulin'  stuff  across  the 

land; 

And  he'll  mebby  think  as  I  do,  while  the  crows  above  him  flit, 
"  Oh,  they  say  the  horse  is  done  for, 
But 
he 

ain't 
went 
yit" 


CHAPTER  VII. 
Driving  Tours 

TO  explore  intimately  the  byways  and  the 
highways  of  our  country,  and  to  enjoy 
in  leisurely  fashion  the  beauties  of  nature,  and 
the  frequently  successful  attempts  of  man  to  har- 
monise with  or  to  restrain  its  exuberance,  no  more 
satisfactory  method  can  be  imagined  than  the  driving 
tour ;  that  meandering  peregrination  which,  starting 
with  no  definite  objective  point  in  view,  continues 
in  the  same  delightfully  irresponsible  fashion  until 
vacation  time  expires,  or  funds  run  low.  The  pedes- 
trian, either  singly  or  in  flocks,  finds  his  advantages 
in  economy  and  in  wholesome  exercise;  but  his 
venture  demands  the  possession  of  good  health, 
physical  ability,  and  youth,  which  unfortunately  are 
not  perennial  attributes.  The  bicyclist  is  hampered 
by  his  inability  to  transport  more  than  the  barest 

187 


1 88  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

necessities  for  cleanliness  and  decency,  and  he,  too, 
must  be  able-bodied.  The  automobilist  is,  as  a  rule, 
restricted  to  the  more  beaten  paths  in  his  wanderings, 
from  the  facts  that  he  dare  not  venture  far  from  the 
essentials  of  the  hardware  and  stench-producing  fuel 
necessary  to  ensure  propulsion  for  his  contraption. 
He  is  also,  possibly,  aware  that,  in  the  eternal  fitness 
of  things,  his  coughing,  sneezing,  evil-smelling 
monster  is  totally  out  of  place  amid  the  solitude  of 
the  green  wood,  or  beside  the  mysterious  murmur 
of  stream  or  sea. 

What  horse-users  and  admirers  for  years  neglected 
to  attempt,  the  bicycle  enthusiasts  effected  in  short 
order,  and  for  this  to  them  be  every  praise.  They 
brought  about  throughout  the  country  a  general  and 
increasing  improvement,  not  only  in  the  maintenance 
but  also  in  the  construction  of  our  roads,  and  the 
peripatetic  may  to-day  comfortably  and  safely  travel 
thoroughfares  which,  a  few  years  ago,  were  left 
in  the  most  primitive  condition, — morasses  in  winter 
and  ash-heaps  in  summer.  Let  him  turn  to  any 
point  of  the  compass  and  "  follow  his  nose  " ;  he  will 


Driving  Tours  189 

find  not  only  very  fair  roadways,  but  will  enjoy  an- 
other boon,  for  which  the  "  Ixions  of  the  wheel  "  are 
to  be  thanked,  —  comfortable  and  frequent  places  for 
repose  and  refreshment,  where  civilised  meals  are 
served,  and  a  generally  and  genuinely  human  effort 
made  to  render  him  comfortable. 

We  take  our  trips  to  Europe,  to  the  far  West, 
East,  North,  and  South,  but  the  intermediate  sec- 
tions are  known  to  us  only  through  glimpses  obtained 
from  a  flying  car  window.  An  occasional  locality 
may  be  discovered  by  accident,  find  prompt  apprecia- 
tion, and  attract  frequent  pilgrimages,  but  such  an 
event  is  unusual,  and,  barring  the  patronage  of  that 
Crcesus  who  is  so  necessary,  apparently,  to  the 
advance  of  all  such  enterprises,  its  success  must  be 
but  ephemeral.  It  is  wonderful  what  a  fillip  the 
presence  of  such  an  one  lends  to  the  charms  of 
nature,  and  how  his  interest  adds  to  the  value  of 
scenery,  or  waters,  or  air  —  so  far  as  the  general 
public  is  concerned.  It  is  extraordinary,  also,  that 
of  the  thousands  who  annually  voyage  hither  and 
thither,  so  very  few  ever  think  of  exploring  and  en- 


190  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

joying  the  beauties  of  country,  mountains,  or  sea 
close  at  hand,  but,  most  unpatriotically  and  unenter- 
prisingly,  expend  their  enthusiasm  and  their  shekels 
in  distant  countries  and  amid  other  environments. 

Thoroughly  to  enjoy  such  an  outing  one  should 
be  gregarious  by  nature  and  find  in  the  sympathy 
and  enthusiasm  of  one  or.  more  companions  that 
stimulant  which  so  delightfully  emphasises  the 
charms  of  fresh  air  and  free  country.  Know  your 
man,  therefore  (or  your  wife,  for  the  matter  of 
that),  and  be  quite  sure  that,  if  the  trip  is  under- 
taken with  any  reluctance,  and  if  your  associate  is  not 
imbued  with  that  love  of  nature  which  is  inborn  and 
cannot  be  acquired,  sooner  or  later  friction  will  arise, 
and  the  "  outing "  will  fail  entirely,  not  only  of 
present  delight,  but  in  that  which  is  its  most  enjoy- 
able quality,  —  a  tender  reminiscence  for  years  to 
come.  The  enduring  harmony  of  such  a  party  is 
in  inverse  ratio  to  its  size.  "  Two  is  company," 
but,  if  the  excursion  includes  a  larger  number, 
either  they  must  be  of  one's  nearest  and  dearest,  or 
the  journey  must  be  a  very  short  one.  People 


Driving  Tours  191 

thrown  so  intimately  together  will  surely  "  get  on 
each  other's  nerves,"  nor  is  it  easy  to  find  a  number 
of  individuals  who  always  want  to  do  the  same  thing 
at  the  same  time. 

A  large  party  also  necessitates  the  use  of  a 
number  of  horses  —  possibly  a  four-  or  a  six-in- 
hand,  and  the  likelihood  of  some  mishap  is  vastly 
increased  with  each  additional  animal.  Shoulders 
will  chafe;  legs  will  fill;  lameness  will  occur;  bad 
feeders  and  weak  constitutions  will  betray  them- 
selves ;  and  such  disasters  prove  not  only  hindrances 
to  enjoyment,  but  possibly  insurmountable  obstacles. 

Convenient  handling  of  the  impedimenta  is  gen- 
erally the  most  exacting  problem  of  such  journeys, 
and  a  trunk  or  trunks  should  be  sent  on  ahead,  to 
be  overtaken  at  intervals  of  a  few  days,  that  laundry, 
etc.,  may  be  recovered  and  refreshed.  This  arrange- 
ment, with  the  addition  of  something  like  a  steamer- 
trunk  which  will  fit  under  the  seat  and  in  the  back 
part  of  a  runabout  or  buggy,  will  amply  provide  for 
the  needs  of  two  people ;  while  four  may  find  equal 
provision  if  such  a  vehicle  as  the  comfortable  and 


192  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

practical  democrat  wagon  is  used,  than  which  model 
nothing  is  better  for  such  trips.  Rain  and  other 
coats  find  storage  in  small  compass  under  the 
cushions,  or  rolled  and  bound  upon  the  dasher,  and 
umbrellas  may  be  similarly  accommodated.  The 
horse  clothing,  bandages,  halters,  etc.,  make  a  roll 
which  straps  like  a  knapsack  to  the  back  of  the  seat ; 
and  the  road-kit,  etc.,  stows  away  with  the 
apron.  Everything  two  or  four  people  need  for 
from  four  days  to  a  week  may  be  snugly  packed  in 
the  flat  trunk  or  valise. 

The  vehicle  should  always  be  thoroughly  over- 
hauled as  to  tires,  nuts,  braces,  etc.,  before  starting, 
and  if  heavy  provided  with  a  brake;  the  horse  or 
horses  should  be  well  and  freshly  shod,  and  they 
must  be  seasoned  and  in  regular  work;  the  harness 
must  fit  well  and  be  soft  and  pliable  at  all  points,  the 
collars  especially  being  very  snug  at  starting,  for  the 
necks  and  shoulders  are  sure  to  shrink.  The  bridles 
should  be  open,  or  with  blinkers  flaring  well.  Sturdy, 
short-coupled,  free-going  beasts  should  be  chosen, 
and  not  those  which  have  at  starting  to  wear  boots 


OS      .S 


Driving  Tours  193 

—  although  these  should  be  carried,  as  a  tired  horse 
may  bang  an  ankle  to  pieces  in  a  few  miles.  Slug- 
gards will  not  answer,  for  the  fatigues  of  the  trip 
will  render  them  more  and  more  dull,  destroying  all 
pleasure ;  even  a  resolute  hard  puller  is  better,  for  he 
has  courage,  and  will  give  over  his  vice  if  the  drives 
are  long  enough. 

All  horses  travel  best  at  night,  but  as  this  is  not 
desired,  the  early  morning  and  the  late  afternoons 
afford  the  best  times,  and  are  the  most  beautiful  por- 
tions of  the  day.  This  also  leaves  the  late  morning 
and  the  early  afternoon  for  local  exploration.  After 
a  gentle  pace  for  the  first  mile,  horses  travel 
easier,  and  last  fresh  longer  if  sent  along  at  a  fair 
road  gait  to  the  next  halt.  Nothing  is  more  tiresome 
to  them  than  dawdling  along  hour  after  hour,  and 
they  are  not  sustained  in  their  task  by  the  knowledge 
of  coming  stable  and  welcome  rest.  The  last  mile 
in  should  be  at  a  moderate  pace;  water  should  be 
given  along  the  way  at  every  opportunity,  and  plenti- 
fully. On  arrival,  the  shoulders  and  saddle  place 
should  be  at  once  sponged  with  cold  water,  the  legs 


194  OUF  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

washed  and  bandaged,  and  the  animals  put  away, 
and  not  mussed  about  in  their  tired  condition.  Leave 
them  dirty,  and  have  them  brushed  over  before  start- 
ing for  the  afternoon  trip  —  if  you  are  "  making 
two  bites  "  of  the  day's  work.  If  not,  treat  them 
the  same,  but  leave  them  to  rest  as  much  as  possible, 
and  don't  bother  them  with  their  toilet  until  next 
day.  Appetite  must  be  closely  watched,  and  a  new 

« 

flavour,  as  apples,  sugar,  molasses,  carrots,  etc., 
occasionally  provided ;  or  "  hay  tea  "  may  be  given 
as  a  drink,  and  the  essence  of  ten  pounds  of  hay 
included  in  eight  quarts  of  water.  Ensure  them 
boxes  or  roomy  stalls,  and  see  that  the  beds  are  deep 
and  fresh.  As  your  pleasure  depends  upon  their 
condition,  spare  no  exertion  to  maintain  it. 

Those  who  can  spare  the  time,  and  who  have  a 
taste  for  thus  combining  camp-life  and  travel,  should 
test  the  gipsy  life  of  the  "van  dwellers,"  moving 
from  spot  to  spot  at  will,  exploring  on  foot,  by 
bicycle,  or  on  horseback,  all  points  of  interest  within 
range  of  the  camping-places;  spending  a  month  or 
a  summer  in  a  sort  of  "  land  yachting  "  that  affords 


Driving  Tours  195 

a  most  unique  experience  either  for  a  family  or  for 
a  party  of  friends.  No  better  vehicle  can  be  imag- 
ined for  the  purpose  than  the  caravans  constructed  by 
American  mechanics  for  the  genuine  gipsies.  These 
wagons,  swinging  upon  their  easy  and  elastic  springs, 
present  the  acme  of  roomy,  practical  usefulness  for 
such  work.  They  are  about  twelve  feet  long  by  six 
feet  broad,  and  have  a  leather  top,  with  windows  in 
the  sides  and  curtain  in  front.  The  rear  end  covering 
is  a  sheet  of  canvas  some  twenty  feet  long  and  twelve 
wide,  which,  when  camp  is  made,  conveniently  forms 
a  tent  or  annex  to  the  wagon,  two  poles  being  erected 
at  its  outer  end,  and  guy  ropes  and  pins  holding  it 
in  place.  Some  campers  surround  this  with  canvas 
sides,  forming  with  the  wagon  two  rooms,  six  by 
twelve,  and  twenty  by  twelve.  Four  bunks,  or  cot 
beds,  find  room  inside  the  wagon,  or  may  be  placed 
on  the  ground  under  the  overhang,  folding  up  against 
the  sides  of  the  caravan  during  the  day,  as  in  a 
sleeping-car.  A  few  rocking-chairs,  hammocks,  etc., 
afford  seats  in  the  van  during  its  journeys ;  a  port- 
able camp-stove  and  the  necessary  dishes  and  cook- 


196  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

ing  utensils  occupy  little  room ;  a  chest  will  hold  all 
the  latter,  and  the  former  is  so  small  and  light  that 
it  can  go  in  a  corner  of  the  van,  or  may  be  dispensed 
with  if  open  fires  are  preferred;  a  few  cupboards 
for  odds  and  ends,  a  looking-glass,  etc.,  a  bicycle  or 
two  lashed  to  the  roof,  a  couple  of  saddles  and  bridles 
for  both  sexes,  or  a  light  gig  that  will  carry  two 
comfortably,  and  a  single  harness,  and  such  a  party 
are  prepared  for  all  places,  weather,  seasons,  and  for 
any  duration  of  excursion. 

The  horses  should  be  stout,  able,  plodding  brutes, 
true  to  pull,  and  quiet  to  ride.  Canvas  covers  reach- 
ing from  ears  to  tail  should  be  provided  for  them 
for  wet  weather  camping,  to  keep  them  warm  and 
dry  on  cold,  wet  nights.  No  grooming,  etc.,  is 
necessary,  and  they  can  be  pastured  most  of  the 
time.  A  good  dog  or  two  afford  a  safeguard  to  the 
wagon  and  companions  for  the  children. 

Neighbouring  farms  furnish  supplies  of  eggs, 
milk,  butter,  vegetables,  poultry,  etc. ;  the  towns  and 
villages  encountered  in  transit  supply  groceries  and 
other  necessities;  while  fishing-tackle  finds  its  uses 


READY  FOR  THE  JOURNEY. 
I.  Mr.  R.  C.  Vanderbilt.  — 2.  Mr.  Howard  Willet. 


Driving  Tours  197 

in  near-by  streams.  Independent  as  savages  and 
happier  than  kings,  such  voyagers  as  these  may,  at 
trifling  expense,  enjoy  the  days  and  weeks  of  vaca- 
tion; the  elders  renewing  their  youth  and  their  zest 
in  living  through  such  care-free  and  wholesome 
existence,  the  children  learning  lessons  in  self- 
reliance,  and  expanding  the  love  of  nature  and 
animal  life  in  a  thoroughly  interesting  school,  where 
practice  is  possible,  and  precept  may  be  vividly  illus- 
trated. Once  tried,  such  trips  are  eagerly  repeated, 
and  one's  caravan  becomes  a  summer  haven,  lacking 
in  none  of  the  home  attributes  but  that  of  a  perma- 
nent hearthstone,  and,  with  its  homely  Lares  and 
Penates,  beloved  as  an  abiding-place  of  happy  hours 
and  of  tender  memories. 


part  HID* 
proper  {Treatment  of  1bor0e$ 


part  TO. 
proper  treatment  of  1bor0e0 

CHAPTER    I. 

Fad  and  Fashion.     The  Docking  and 
Mutilating  of  Horses 

THE  fad  of  the  hour  —  the  fashion  of  the  day 
—  and  not  ephemeral,  as  the  displays  of 
each  winter  season  increasingly  prove,  is  for  the 
mutilation  of  pets,  the  sacrificing  of  the  beautiful 
to  the  grotesque  and  bizarre.  Milady  drives  in  the 
park  behind  her  beautiful  carriage-horses,  docked  of 
tail  and  plucked  of  their  flowing  mane;  beside  her 
is  her  Boston  terrier,  whose  ears  have  been  trimmed, 
and  whose  docked  tail  has,  not  improbably,  been 
broken  and  left  disjointed,  in  order  that  the  fashion- 
able "  screw  "  malformation  may  be  secured.  She 

20 1 


202  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

is  muffled  in  furs  torn  from  the  bodies  of  harmless 
creatures  that  her  ruthless  tastes  might  be  gratified, 
and  bears  upon  her  head  either  the  entire  body  or 
most  of  the  plumage  of  some  innocent  bird,  whose 
destruction  left,  not  improbably,  its  helpless  young  to 
starve  and  to  die,  whose  body  was  not  needed  for 
food,  but  only  that  it  might  adorn  (?)  the  head- 
dress of  a  thoughtless  woman.  The  lady  is  known 
perhaps  for  her  charitable  deeds;  even  the  humane 
societies  have  benefited  by  her  largess,  yet,  indif- 
ferent to  the  real  facts,  she  goes  on  her  way,  rejoic- 
ing only  that  she  is  ires  comme  il  faut,  and  "  up-to- 
date  "  in  every  detail  of  equipage  and  costume. 

The  very  same  woman  and  her  callous  class  will 
attend  a  charity  performance  upon  some  cold  win- 
ter's day,  leaving  her  wickedly  checked  and  shivering 
brougham  horses  to  get  through  as  best  they  can 
the  long  wait  which  precedes  her  reappearance; 
or  she  submits  the  hired  cab-horse  with  even  more 
indifference  to  the  same  trying  exposure.  She  re- 
duces her  pampered  lap-dog  to  such  a  condition 
through  overfeeding  and  lack  of  adequate  exer- 


Fad  and  Fashion  203 

cise  that  he  is  steadily  racked  by  all  the  throes  of  in- 
digestion and  biliousness  throughout  his  obese,  asth- 
matic little  body;  and  when  the  wretched  brute 
reaches  the  pitiful  stage  where  it  is  unpleasant  to 
have  him  about,  she  orders  James  to  dispose  of  him 
that  another  more  attractive  may  replace  him,  or 
abandons  him  to  the  tender  mercies  of  some  caretaker 
at  her  country  place,  where  he  shivers  and  whines 
away  his  wretched  life. 

The  inhumanities  of  the  poorer  classes  are  gener- 
ally the  result  of  thoughtless  and  absolute  ignorance 
of  the  suffering  they  cause.  The  working  man  does 
not  mean  to  abuse  the  animal  who  represents  to  him, 
in  proportion  to  his  means,  a  considerable  —  a  gi- 
gantic—  investment,  and  which  he  will,  as  a  usual 
thing,  care  for  as  ably  as  his  limited  knowledge  en- 
ables. Reared  himself  in  rough  and  ready  style, 
cuffed  about  from  childhood,  it  never  occurs  to  him 
that  non-performance  of  work  is  not  to  be  corrected 
by  beating;  and  he  thinks  that  if  the  punishment  is 
severe  and  long  continued  it  is  bound  to  effect  the 
desired  ends.  It  always  did  in  his  own  case,  when 


204  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

he  figured  as  the  "  cuffee  "  and  not  the  "  cuffer." 
Hence,  when  arrest  follows  his  pernicious  activity 
with  whip  and  boot,  he  is  not  infrequently  genuinely 
surprised,  as  he  is  at  the  lecture  read  to  him  by 
the  judge  and  at  the  sentence  imposed,  especially 
as  he  well  knows  that  the  crippled  animal  his  few 
dollars  had  secured  had  been  the  pet  of  Dives,  the 
banker;  but,  injured  by  a  fall  upon  the  fiendish 
asphalt,  had  been  summarily  consigned  to  the  auction 
mart,  and  sold  for  the  trifle  which  Lazarus  was  able 
to  afford.  "  Why,"  he  says  to  himself,  "  am  I, 
poor  struggling  wretch  that  I  am,  thus  disciplined 
for  beating  my  horse  in  my  effort  to  deliver  a  load 
which  would  earn  bread  for  my  family,  when  his 
former  owner  goes  free  after  his  greater  crime  of 
thus  consigning  an  animal  to  lingering  torture  which 
had  ruined  itself  by  efforts  in  his  service?  " 

If  one  will  watch  the  records  of  arrest  for  such 
misdeeds,  one  will  find  that  seventy-five  per  cent. 
of  the  perpetrators  of  these  cruelties  are  foreigners, 
and  from  countries  where  it  is  the  national  charac- 
teristic to  abuse  and  to  neglect  the  animal  kingdom. 


Fad  and  Fashion  205 

Very  frequently  these  men  can  barely  speak  our  lan- 
guage, nor  can  they  read  it  —  which  failings  ensure 
an  almost  total  ignorance  of  our  country's  laws. 
They  are  but  doing  as  their  like  always  did  at  home, 
and  they  really  meant  no  harm.  An  animal  is  to 
them  simply  the  means  to  the  desired  end,  and  if  it 
will  not  proceed,  or  perform  its  task,  it  must  be 
beaten  until  it  does.  You  can  punish  such  a  man  by 
imprisonment,  etc.,  but  you  perpetrate  a  moral  crime 
in  so  doing,  for  you  force  him  to  leave  his  family 
possibly  to  the  tender  mercies  of  charity.  You  cannot 
"  reform  "  him,  but  you  can  so  educate  his  chil- 
dren, so  impress  upon  their  receptive  minds  the  why 
and  wherefore  of  right  and  wrong,  that  they  shall 
be  advanced,  informed,  broadened  far  beyond  his 
boundaries.  He  is  a  necessary  evil  —  possibly  leav- 
ing his  own  country  for  its  good,  and  being  a  blot 
upon  this  as  long  as  he  lives ;  but  here  he  is,  countless 
swarms  of  him,  and  constantly  arriving,  —  the  scum 
of  Europe,  the  dregs  of  the  world.  His  descend- 
ants are  the  Americans  of  the  future,  and  no  opera- 
tions in  the  interest  of  genuine  humanity  and  Chris- 


206  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

tianity  are  practical,  progressive,  or  satisfactory  if 
they  ignore  these  facts.  The  only  worthy  solution 
of  such  problems  is  to  educate  the  rising  generations 
beyond  all  such  danger-points;  to  legislate  not  for 
the  punishment  of  man,  but  for  his  enlightenment ; 
to  see  to  it  that  every  child  in  every  school,  public  and 
private,  passes  his  examinations  as  to  the  care  and 
protection  due  dumb  animals,  as  well  as  his  "  three 
royal  R's  "  of  "  reading,  'riting,  and  'rithmetic." 

But  little  general  advance  can  be  expected  in  such 
matters  as  long  as  object-lessons  are  lacking,  and 
practical  supervision  and  legislation  remains  so  in- 
ert and  so  inapt.  Laws  exist  against  docking,  the 
use  of  "  burrs  "  on  bridle  bits,  for  the  sanding  of  the 
asphalt,  for  the  provision  of  numerous  and  adequate 
drinking-places  for  the  refreshment  of  animals  of 
all  sizes;  but  the  rich  man  defies  or  ignores  them 
all,  and  the  poor  man,  following  the  lead  of  his 
wealthy  neighbour,  obeys  them  so  far  as  he  is 
obliged,  or  as  he  finds  it  convenient  to  do. 

The  crying  evil  of  the  day,  so  far  as  horses  are 
concerned,  is  accepted  to  be  the  docking  of  the  tail. 


a 


Fad  and  Fashion  207 

This  is  true  in  part  only,  for  the  humane  societies 
and  the  laws  totally  ignore  the  "  banging  "  of  tails, 
which  is  equally  inexcusable;  the  "pulling"  or  "hog- 
ging "  of  manes  (as  in  polo  ponies,  etc.)  ;  the  clipping 
of  the  entire  body  of  many  horses,  used  at  slow  work, 
simply  because  it  is  labour-saving  so  to  do,  etc.  The 
plain  truth  is  that  the  Society  itself  is  not  practi- 
cally managed  in  many  ways ;  it  is  subject  to  attacks 
of  hysteria  over  trifling  details ;  its  agents  are  in  too 
many  cases  not  practical  men,  and  their  badges  have 
been  used  too  frequently  to  procure  cheap  notoriety 
under  the  guise  of  needful  discipline. 

The  operation  of  docking,  in  itself,  is  not 
particularly  painful,  and  while  the  minds  of  senti- 
mentalists endow  the  proceeding  with  all  sorts  of 
agonies  and  horrors,  the  plain  truth  is  that  hardly 
any  pain  is  evidenced  by  the  subject,  and  not  a  few 
horses  have  been  docked  and  subsequently  seared 
over  the  stump  with  a  hot  iron  while  standing  tran- 
quil and  unbound.  The  writer  himself  was,  years 
ago,  "  banging  "  a  horse's  tail  with  a  keen  razor,  t.  e. 
squaring  the  hair;  but  rinding  blood  upon  his 


208  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

hands  at  the  conclusion  of  the  operation,  discovered 
that  he  had  cut  off  more  than  five  inches  of  the  an- 
imal's tail-bone,  she  standing  loose  upon  the  stable 
floor,  the  halter-rope  thrown  over  her  neck.  The 
horse  which  is  placed  in  "  stocks  "  by  the  operator 
—  i.  e.  uprights  which  keep  him  motionless  —  has 
his  apprehension  excited,  and  may  squeal  as  the  first 
prick  is  felt.  Experiment  proves,  however,  that  he 
will  do  this  (for  it  is  only  the  exceptional  case  that 
will  so  protest)  if  he  is  pricked  ever  so  slightly  at 
any  other  point,  and  that  it  is  not  the  pain  of  the 
mutilation  which  causes  him  to  complain.  Docking 
is  done  with  a  "  guillotine  "  knife ;  the  tail  is  seared 
with  a  hot  iron;  the  whole  operation  does  not  last 
two  minutes  —  often  not  thirty  seconds,  and  you 
may  at  once  put  the  animal  in  harness  and  drive 
him,  if  you  so  elect.  The  searing  is  not  painful,  as 
you  may  prove  by  taking  a  pointed  bit  of  ice  and 
pressing  it  upon  your  arm.  The  sensation  is  so  pre- 
cisely that  of  the  hot  iron  that,  blindfolded,  one 
cannot  tell  the  difference  —  as  the  writer  knows 


Fad  and  Fashion  209 

from  personal  experience,  through  initiation  of  a 
secret  society. 

While  the  actual  operation  of  docking,  therefore, 
is  not  cruel,  the  inhumanity  comes  later.  Very 
rarely  a  horse's  tail  may  fester  and  prove  tender  for 
awhile;  but  usually  there  are  no  after  effects,  and 
the  scab  comes  away  from  the  stump  in  a  week  or  so  ; 
but  it  is  not  at  this  stage  that  the  wickedness  of  the 
grotesque  fashion  is  felt,  or  its  real  evils  experi- 
enced. 

Forthwith,  and  for  all  his  after  life,  the  poor 
animal  is  destined  to  afford  a  pasture  for  countless 
insects  for  from  five  to  twelve  months  annually, 
according  to  his  climatic  environment.  If  he  is 
exposed  to  their  attacks  out-of-doors,  he  is  little 
less  at  their  mercy  within,  and  the  tender  skin  of 
his  thighs,  hocks,  etc.,  is  to  them  a  favourite  swarm- 
ing-place.  Grown  thin,  finally,  because  of  the  con- 
stant misery  which  tortures  him,  the  kindly  ( ?) 
master  orders  him  "  turned  out  to  grass  "  for  a  few 
months  to  "  gain  flesh,"  and  now  indeed  is  the  evil 
hour  of  his  torment  come!  If  flies  of  all  kinds  drive 


210  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

him  mad  by  day,  millions  of  mosquitoes  gnaw  his 
bones  by  night;  and  if  he  in  his  agony  charge 
through  woodlands,  rub  against  fences  and  trees, 
or  roll  upon  the  ground,  his  skin  thereby  suffers 
abrasions  which  immediately  form  a  most  attract- 
ive feeding-place  for  his  enemies;  secure  havens 
to  deposit  their  eggs,  and  to  promote  festering  sores. 

Reduced  finally  to  the  cab  ranks  and  the  peddler's 
wagon,  his  lot  is  fully  as  hopeless,  for  now  his  duties 
daily  call  him  where  insects  swarm,  his  repose  (?) 
must  be  sought  where  similar  conditions  obtain. 

"  Banging  "  —  t.  e.  squaring  the  hair  at  the  end 
of  the  bone  —  is  not  quite  so  barbarous  in  its  future 
results  as  docking,  but  for  present  purposes,  and 
while  the  hair  remains  short,  it  is  just  as  bad.  An 
outrageous  custom  —  utterly  without  reason,  save 
that  a  little  work  is  saved  to  lazy  stable-men  —  has 
sprung  up  in  New  York,  of  thus  mangling  the  tails 
of  animals  used  upon  express  wagons,  street-cars,  the 
street-cleaning  department,  etc.,  to  the  number  of 
thousands.  These  animals  are  never  protected  from 
flies,  and  their  work  (and  rest)  is  always  where  they 


Fad  and  Fashion  21 1 

swarm,  yet  the  Humane  Society  has  made  no  effort 
whatever  to  change  matters. 

The  mane  is  useful  and  necessary  as  a  fly-brush, 
and  again  the  society  allows  nearly  all  the  work- 
horses in  New  York  to  have  their  mane  and  foretop 
cut  off  entirely;  while  fashionable  carriage-horses, 
etc.,  have  theirs  "  pulled "  until  it  is  about  six 
inches  long.  However,  they  are  more  fortunate,  at 
that,  than  the  work-horses,  whose  heads  and  necks 
are  left  utterly  defenceless;  although,  as  a  partial 
compensation,  the  ears  of  the  latter  are  not  deprived 
of  their  interior  hair,  as  are  the  creatures  of  fashion 
in  many  cases.  It  is  true  that,  if  the  mane  is  not 
cut  away  at  the  point  where  the  collar  rests,  it  may 
cause  festering  sores,  and  it  should  also  be  removed 
where  the  top  of  the  bridle  lies.  This  means  only  a 
space  about  five  inches  wide  before  the  withers,  and 
another  cut  about  two  inches  wide  behind  the  ears, 
the  rest  of  the  mane  being  left  to  fulfil  its  purpose  as 
a  fly-brush,  etc.;  and  it  is  a  disgrace  to  the  S.  P. 
C.  A.  that  it  tolerates  any  other  methods.  No  mane 
needs  "hogging,"  on  polo  pony  or  any  other 


212  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

animal,  and  legislation  should  prevent;  ordinary 
good  taste  and  humanity  should  discountenance  it. 
Docking  is  peculiarly  inappropriate  where  our 
American  vehicles  are  used  and  the  passengers  sit 
rather  low  behind  their  horse.  The  long  tail,  hang- 
ing well  down  between  and  behind  the  hind  legs, 
forms  an  effective  guard  against  flying  mud,  dust, 
and  pebbles,  while  the  docked-tailed  animal,  par- 
ticularly if  he  steps  rather  high,  hurls  the  filth  at 
you  in  showers  —  and  some  horses,  thus  mutilated, 
are  quite  unusable  in  the  native  runabout,  buggy, 
etc.  Theory  has  it  that  the  long  tail  gets  over  the 
rein  more  frequently  and  more  firmly  than  the 
docked,  whereas  exactly  the  contrary  is  the  case. 
The  docked  horse  not  only  "  shuts  down  "  closer, 
but  his  tail  affords  no  leverage  if  you  would  finally 
lift  it  off  the  rein  —  when  not  improbably  your  clasp 
(and  the  ensuing  discomfort)  brings  to  his  one- 
ideaed  mind  the  thought  that  once  upon  a  time  some 
one  hurt  him  right  there,  and,  as  opportunity  offers, 
he  proceeds  to  "  get  square  "  by  kicking  your  head 
off,  and  the  wagon  to  pieces. 


PRIZE- WINNING  PAIRS. 
Courtesy  of  the  owner,  Mr.  Eben  D.  Jordan. 


Fad  and  Fashion  213 

If  horses  are  to  be  docked  or  banged,  there  should 
be  a  law  passed  making  it  severely  punishable  to  fail 
to  provide  fly-nets  for  all  horses,  whether  driven  or 
ridden,  during  the  necessary  months.  They  can  per- 
fectly well  be  applied  to  the  saddle-horse,  and  any 
equestrian  of  ordinary  humanity  would  realise  it, 
and  see  to  it  that  this  most  necessary  and  inexpen- 
sive provision  was  made  for  the  comfort  of  his 
patient  hack. 

The  humane  societies  make  a  tremendous  flutter 
over  the  use  of  "  burrs  "  upon  bridle-bits,  etc.,  yet 
overlook  all  these  requirements  of  common  sense 
and  common  decency.  They  do  not  compel  sanding 
of  streets,  nor  ensure  the  prompt  destruction  of 
fatally  injured  animals  by  making  every  keeper  of  a 
public  stable  a  legal  executioner,  and  instructing  him 
in  the  merciful  performance  of  his  duties.  The  so- 
ciety has  made  itself  an  object  of  ridicule  to  horse- 
men everywhere  by  such  lack  of  intelligent  effort, 
and  every  one  knows  that,  if  docking  is  illegal,  yet 
still  is  practised,  the  crime  lies  at  no  door  but  that  of 
the  society,  which  fails  to  suppress  it  and  which  could 


214  OUF  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

absolutely  and  effectually  do  so  if  it  chose  —  and 
were  not  many  of  its  members  and  supporters  them- 
selves in  the  habit  of  thus  mutilating  their  purchases, 
or  of  buying  and  using  them  when  previously  dis- 
figured by  others. 


CHAPTER   II. 
Sense  and  Sentiment 

IN  our  relations  with  animals  of  all  kinds  we 
are  very  prone  to  go  to  extremes,  and  to  allow 
sentiment  to  usurp  to  an  unwarrantable  and  harm- 
ful extent  the  place  of  common  sense.  While 
excellent  in  its  principle,  humanising  in  its  applica- 
tion, and  ennobling  in  its  general  results,  sentiment, 
in  its  relation  to  the  animals  which  we  foster,  love, 
protect,  and  use,  although  in  moderation  desirable, 
is,  in  excess,  most  unwholesome  and  dangerous. 
Considered  in  the  abstract,  we  can  harbour  for  this 
emotion  nothing  but  praise,  although  frequently,  in 
the  individual  case,  it  proceeds  to  lengths  which  are 
to  be  deprecated. 

It  may  seem  extraordinary  to  assert  that  excess 

of  sentiment  is  responsible  not  only  for  much  animal 

215 


216  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

suffering,  but  for  many  serious  and  fatal  casualties, 
but  reflection  will  convince  that  the  statement  is 
true;  experience  will  prove  it  not  only  correct,  but 
astoundingly  so.  Where  there  exists  a  happy  com- 
bination of  sense  and  sentiment,  precept  and  practice, 
discipline  and  indulgence,  there  we  shall  find  our 
animal  friends  fostered  and  controlled  as  is  wisest 
and  best  for  their  well-being,  —  past,  present,  and 
future,  —  and  happy  (and  exceptional)  the  indi- 
vidual whose  well-balanced  mind  and  personal  ex- 
periences enable  him  (or  her)  to  attain  this  truly 
happy  medium. 

What,  then,  is  sentiment?  Thought  prompted  by 
passion  or  feeling,  tender  susceptibility. 

And  what  is  sense?  Perception  through  intellect, 
due  appreciation. 

These  definitions  being  accepted,  one  realises  that, 
while  they  are  not  necessarily  interdependent,  they 
should  be  so.  Sentiment  is  not  only  an  emotion,  but 
a  sense;  sense  is  not  alone  the  power  of  discern- 
ment, but  also  a  sentiment  —  the  ability  to  differen- 
tiate between  right  and  wrong,  between  judicious 


Sense  and  Sentiment  217 

severity  and  cruel  harshness,  between  maudlin  indul- 
gence and  wise  discipline. 

To  sentiment,  as  said  above,  must  be  charged 
many  of  the  ills  from  which  our  animal  dependents 
suffer.  Our  undisciplined  puppies  —  and  grown 
dogs  —  reared  and  kept  by  people  of  foolishly  fond 
dispositions,  are  mere  nuisances,  frequently  to  whole 
neighbourhoods ;  our  caged  birds  and  other  domesti- 
cated pets  are  not  only  bought,  reared,  and  con- 
fined by  humanitarians  who  have  much  to  say  (and 
do)  concerning  the  actions  of  others  in  their  rela- 
tions to  animals,  but  themselves,  through  mistaken 
kindness,  are  responsible  for  a  vast  amount  of  suffer- 
ing among  the  creatures  they  assume  to  foster  and 
protect;  the  domestic  cat,  dog,  and  canary  bird 
perhaps  more  often  suffer  from  mistaken  kindness 
than  any  other  animals;  overfed,  overfattened, 
underexercised,  many  of  them  lead  miserable  lives, 
—  and  just  how  wretched  such  an  existence  is,  let 
any  of  our  corpulent,  indolent  dyspeptics  bear  wit- 
ness. 

This  foolish  ultra-sentimentalism  is  noticeable  to 


2i8  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

nearly  as  great  an  extent  in  the  care  for  and  manage- 
ment of  horses.  We  are  prone  to  strain  at  the  gnat 
of  docking,  of  the  use  of  burr-bits,  etc.,  and 
at  the  same  time  to  overfeed  and  underexercise  our 
own  animals,  to  keep  them  in  stables  which  in  the 
long  nights  become  totally  unfit  for  occupancy,  so 
foul  does  the  air  become;  to  turn  them  out  to  grass, 
and  let  them  feed  the  flies  and  mosquitoes,  and 
shrink  in  flesh  and  muscle  from  want  of  the  accus- 
tomed grain;  to  water  them  not  at  all  when  heated, 
and  never  during  the  long,  long  nights,  when  the 
consumption  of  much  dry  forage  has  rendered  their 
thirst  acute;  to  shoe  them  improperly,  accepting  the 
dictum  of  ignorant  men  as  to  their  needs  in  this 
connection;  to  allow  children  to  use  them,  regard- 
less of  juvenile  characteristics  or  abilities ;  to  accept 
as  gospel  the  theories  of  individuals  who  have 
had  no  practical  experience,  etc.  These  are  but  a 
few  of  the  hardships  which  sentiment  and  well-inten- 
tioned ignorance  inflict  upon  the  horse.  We  have 
heard  of  the  place  that  was  "  paved  with  good  inten- 
tions," and  mistaken  sentiment  has  laid  more  of 


Sense  and  Sentiment  219 

those  cobblestones  than  has  any  other  one  factor 
that  can  be  named. 

The  writer  well  remembers  that,  very  recently,  as 
he  was  driving  a  young  and  headstrong  horse  past 
one  of  the  numerous  city  excavations  in  New  York, 
he  reached  a  place  where  there  was  barely  room  to 
pass  an  approaching  hansom  cab  containing  two 
ladies.  When  abreast  of  the  vehicle,  the  young  horse 
gave  formal  notice  that  he  was  about  to  make  a 
bolt  directly  toward  it ;  and  to  prevent  this  the  writer 
shifted  the  bit  smartly  in  his  mouth,  and,  as  he 
failed  to  respond,  struck  him  twice  very  sharply 
with  the  whip,  thereby  forcing  him  to  answer  his 
bit,  and  to  escape,  by  a  very  narrow  margin,  a  serious 
accident  —  as  otherwise  he  would  inevitably  have 
landed  in  the  cab,  and  probably  on  the  laps  of  the 
ladies.  As  the  cab  passed  (by  a  hairbreadth),  one 
lady  leaned  out  and  exclaimed,  "  Oh,  you  brute ! 
You  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  yourself !  "  The  writer 
chanced  to  know  who  she  was  and  followed  her  to 
her  house,  where  he  sent  in  his  card  and  requested 
an  interview.  This  granted,  he  explained  his  action : 


22O  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

showed  her  how,  by  the  exercise  of  needful  severity, 
her  life  and  that  of  her  friend  had  probably  been 
saved;  explained  the  necessity  for  prompt  action, 
and  then  asked  her,  as  she  had  criticised  the  deed,  to 
prescribe  a  more  effective  and  prompt  method  of 
evading  subsequent  similar  occurrences.  To  this 
the  lady  was  frank  enough  to  reply  that  she  knew 
nothing  whatever  about  horses,  but  had  a  keen  love 
for  them,  and  resented  anything  that  looked  like 
abuse;  understood  that  they  must  be  controlled, 
although  all  her  sentiments  were  against  severity 
and  for  kindness  —  and  handsomely  allowed  that 
she  had  been  wrong. 

On  leaving,  the  writer  asked  if  he  might  be  per- 
mitted to  take  the  temperature  of  a  corner  where 
hung  an  aviary  of  several  disconsolate  appearing 
birds,  quite  near  a  steam  radiator  in  full  blast.  Per- 
mission being  granted,  the  bulb  was  found  to  register 
ninety-two  degrees,  and  the  lady  was  as  much 
pained  to  learn  of  the  cruelty  which  she  had  con- 
tinually practised  upon  her  pets  as  was  the  writer 
at  her  original  accusation.  This  was  a  case  of 


Sense  and  Sentiment  221 

excess  of  sentiment  and  of  lack  of  ordinary  common 
sense  —  the  well-meaning1  woman  was  ignorantly 
inflicting  every  day  more  real  suffering  upon  her 
birds  than  a  daily  flogging  would  have  afforded  the 
horse. 

It  is  this  same  sort  of  sentimentalism  that  allows 
a  horse  to  take  all  sorts  of  liberties,  to  drive  care- 
lessly, to  stumble,  to  pretend  fear  at  passing  or  sta- 
tionary objects,  to  do,  unrebuked,  the  thousand  and 
one  things  that  a  horse  will  attempt  if  he  thinks 
he  dare  do  so  with  impunity.  The  handler  must  be 
the  master,  and  there  must  be  no  question  about  it, 
no  idea  of  partnership,  no  fallacy  that  "  Billy  knows 
my  touch  on  his  mouth,"  or  that  "  Charley  knows 
my  voice."  Nothing  is  more  suicidal  than  this  sort 
of  sentimentalism.  The  fairy  tales  of  our  childhood 
of  the  "  Arab  and  his  steed  "  were  the  merest  non- 
sense, the  most  dangerous  fables.  Sentiment  would 
fain  endorse  them,  but  experience  and  common  sense 
sternly  forbids  —  therefore  be  warned  in  time. 

Horses  were  given  to  mankind  to  subjugate,  to 
discipline  along  rational  lines,  and  to  use  intelli- 


222  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

gently.  Originally  a  wild  animal,  the  horse  has 
many  of  these  instincts  unchanged.  Never  believe 
that  he  serves  you  because  he  loves  you  and  wishes 
to  do  so.  He  does  nothing  of  the  sort.  Your  scent 
is  unpleasant  to  him;  your  presence,  until  he  finds 
that  to  you  he  must  look  for  food  and  shelter,  is 
distasteful;  he  allows  you  to  handle  and  to  work 
him,  not  because  he  delights  in  so  doing,  but  because 
he  has  been  deceived  into  thinking  that  he  cannot 
help  himself;  and  he  acquiesces  just  in  the  degree 
that  he  is  hoodwinked,  and  to  the  extent  that  he 
has  found  resistance  useless.  He  is  foolish,  he  is 
timid,  he  has  but  limited  intelligence  —  and  it  is  in 
these  qualities  that  our  safeguard  lies,  if  he  is 
properly  handled  and  educated  as  common  sense 
defines;  in  the  same  qualities  that  our  constant 
danger  exists  if  he  is  pampered  and  indulged,  as 
sentiment  and  the  current  mistaken  ideas  of  humane 
treatment  dictate. 


CHAPTER   III. 
Our  Obligations  to  Our  Dumb  Dependents 

ONE  is  tempted  to  say  that  the  "  fad  "  of  the 
present  is  philanthropy,  but  it  is  more  —  it 
is  the  legitimate  fruit  of  liberal  education  and 
enkindled  interest  in  humanity  in  general.  The 
American  of  the  future  —  and  of  the  present  — 
more  nearly  complies  with  the  duties  of  true  citizen- 
ship than  any  of  his  contemporaries  or  predecessors, 
and  assures  limitless  advances  along  the  same  lines. 
Genuine  as  are  these  obligations,  those  due  to  the 
dumb  animals  in  his  care,  for  pleasure  or  for  profit, 
are  as  important,  and  should  be  met  and  cancelled  in 
the  same  generous  and  thoughtful  spirit.  If,  how- 
ever, we  are  speedily  and  intelligently  to  ensure 
proper  consideration  for  all  animals,  this  reform 
must  come  from  instructing  the  children,  from 
carrying  it  to  the  same  limits  as  other  branches  in 


224  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

their  education,  and  rendering  it  a  part  of  their 
very  nature  and  religion. 

Our  efforts  in  this  direction  have  not  always  been 
directed  by  experience,  nor  by  ordinary  common 
sense,  and  more  than  once  theories  have  been  promul- 
gated and  edicts  legalised  which  have  been  properly 
ridiculed,  and  have  proved  not  only  improper  but 
dangerous.  For  instance,  the  agents  of  the  S.  P.  C. 
A.  made,  one  year,  a  sudden  descent  upon  a  number 
of  carriages  awaiting  their  owners  outside  Madison 
Square  Garden  during  the  annual  horse  show,  and 
removed  from  the  bits  of  the  animals  attached  sun- 
dry so-called  "  burrs,"  which  had  been  placed  upon 
them,  as  alleged,  in  order  to  cause  the  animals  to 
"  foam  at  the  mouth,  and  to  appear  spirited."  A 
"burr,"  it  may  be  explained,  is  a  round  piece  of 
leather  carrying  on  its  surface  sundry  clusters  of 
short  bristles,  and  placed  upon  the  mouthpiece 
next  the  cheek.  The  effect  is  not  to  make  the 
animal  either  "foam  or  prance,"  but  to  drive  straight, 
to  keep  off  the  sidewalks,  and,  if  boring,  lunging, 
heavy-headed  horses,  to  properly  behave  themselves. 


Obligations  to  Dumb   Dependents  225 

The  contrivance  is,  as  every  horseman  knows,  useful, 
sometimes  necessary;  not  at  all  cruel,  unless  it  be 
so  to  hold  a  toothbrush  against  your  own  mouth- 
angle;  and  is  felt  by  the  animal  only  when  he  at- 
tempts to  carry  his  head  and  neck  to  one  side.  As 
these  appliances  were  presumably  necessary,  it  is 
due  to  luck  only  that  some  serious  accident  did  not 
^follow  this  hysterical  proceeding,  and,  had  any 
occurred,  it  would  have  been  interesting  to  find  out 
whether  the  society  could  escape  the  consequences  of 
its  high-handed  action.  "  Burrs  "  have  been  in  use 
in  the  streets  daily  for  years,  and  are  seen  to-day; 
they  do  not  cause  suffering;  they  are  very  useful, 
and  with  certain  horses  a  safeguard  against  acci- 
dents. 

Again  the  use  of  tight  check-reins  is  universally 
argued  against,  especially  for  draught  work,  yet 
there  are  certain  low-headed,  straight-shouldered 
horses  which,  if  not  checked,  and  that  quite  sharply, 
allow  the  collar  so  to  work  against  the  point  of  the 
shoulder  that  it  is  constantly  galled.  As  a  choice  of 
evils,  checks  should  always  be  used  in  such  cases. 


226  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

We  sadly  lack  discrimination,  and  the  presence  of 
practical  horsemen  in  power,  who  would  not  only 
correct,  but  also  instruct,  would  greatly  help  the 
task  of  alleviating  equine  conditions. 

We  forbid  a  child  to  hurt  a  fly  or  to  pull  the 
kitten's  tail,  generally  before  he  has  essayed  either 
feat;  but  he  is  afforded  no  reason  for  the  inter- 
diction, beyond  the  general  statement  that  the  act 
is  cruel.  The  mere  word  conveys  no  idea  to  his 
mind,  but  the  mandate  awakens  immediately  his 
curiosity  —  as  similar  warnings  concerning  the  more 
important  temptations  of  life  have  affected  all  of 
us,  dear  reader.  Lacking  any  demonstration  as  to 
why  the  deeds  are  inhuman,  or  as  to  what  cruelty 
is,  he  avails  himself  of  the  first  opportunity  to  experi- 
ment with  fly  or  feline,  and  his  convictions  are 
formed  upon  the  immediate  results  of  his  investi- 
gations. 

How  common  it  is  to  find  that  people  who  by  act 
and  word  strive  to  evidence  their  sympathy  for  the 
animal  kingdom  will  thoughtlessly  consign  to  the 
tender  mercies  of  their  children  all  varieties  of  pets ; 


Obligations  to  Dumb   Dependents  227 

allow  collections  of  butterflies,  and  of  birds'  eggs 
to  be  made ;  ignorant  of  the  treatment  portioned  out 
to  the  various  animals  which  their  offspring  may 
pet,  abuse,  overfeed,  and  starve,  according  to  juvenile 
caprice  and  carelessness,  children  of  three  to  four 
years  of  age  being  permitted  to  maul,  squeeze,  and 
maltreat  kittens,  puppies,  etc.,  to  an  outrageous 
extent,  not  only  to  the  ensuing  discomfort  and  agony 
rfof  the  little  things,  but  not  infrequently  to  their 
positive  physical  injury. 

No  child  should  be  allowed  to  have  or  to  handle 
any  pet  until  it  has  reached  the  age  when  warning 
and  instruction  may  be  assimilated  and  acted  upon. 
Nor  should  they,  at  any  time,  be  allowed  the  handling 
of  animals  too  young  or  too  feeble  to  resent  with 
vigour  any  attempt  at  abuse  or  oppression.  Better 
far  the  bite  or  scratch  which  teaches  summarily  and 
indelibly  its  lesson,  than  the  callous  indifference 
ensured  by  the  patient  suffering  of  tiny  things  which 
can  but  dumbly  wonder  and  lament  that  their  help- 
lessness secures  for  them  only  discomfort  from  the 
juniors,  neglect  from  the  elders.  The  mere  con- 


228  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

signing  of  a  forlorn  puppy  or  kitten,  just  taken  from 
its  mother's  side,  to  the  cellar  every  night  to  mourn 
its  lonely  little  heart  out,  can  but  have  its  effect  upon 
the  children,  who  find  that  the  parents  not  only 
tolerate,  but  direct  such  methods.  As  one  little 
girl  said :  "  Why,  father,  kittie  only  mewed  once 
when  I  pulled  her  tail ;  but  she  cries  all  night  when 
you  put  her  in  the  cellar !  " 

The  purchaser  who  invests  in  horse,  dog,  or 
other  pet  does  so  with  no  idea  of  any  special  duty 
to  the  animal  who  thus  comes  into  his  charge;  and 
generally  with  no  previous  knowledge  of  its  require- 
ments. He  simply  acquires  it,  as  he  does  his  walk- 
ing-stick, and  expects  it  forthwith  to  be  as  handy, 
useful,  and  ornamental  as  the  implement.  Of  the 
animal's  obligations  to  him  he  has  a  generally  exag- 
gerated idea;  for  his  to  the  creature  he  cares  but 
little,  and  would  be  surprised  did  you  ask  if 
he  realised  what  they  were,  or  whether  any  existed. 
He  will  allow  that  food,  water,  and  shelter  must  be 
provided  in  order  that  condition  for  use,  or  pleasure, 
may  be  maintained,  but  further  than  that  it  never 


Obligations  to  Dumb  Dependents  229 

enters  his  head  that  he  is  bound,  in  all  honour,  to 
see  that  these  are  of  the  most  sanitary  and  nourish- 
ing ;  that  its  ailments  are  anticipated ;  that  its  future 
after  years  of  service  is  provided  for;  that  its 
caparisons,  etc.,  are  of  the  least  irksome;  its  tasks 
confined  to  reasonable  limits;  that  its  vacations  are 
enjoyable  and  wisely  ordered.  It  is  idle  for  him 
to  argue  that  he  "  does  not  know  much  about 
Corses  "  (or  dogs,  etc.),  that  he  "  thought  Billy  was 
well  fed  at  pasture "  (although  he  returned  a 
walking  skeleton),  that  he  "supposed  Fanny  was 
protected  from  flies  in  the  stable,"  or  that  he  "  did 
not  think  of  White  Socks's  future  when  he  ordered 
him  docked  " ;  but  these  arguments  serve  neither 
as  excuses  nor  reasons  for  his  wanton  neglect  —  and 
he  has  violated  his  trust.  If  he  bought  an  auto- 
mobile, a  bicycle,  or  a  sailboat,  he  would  learn  all 
he  could  about  it  before  investing,  and  would  be 
consumed  with  anxiety  lest  something  might  happen 
to  it,  or  that  there  was  some  wrinkle  he  had  not 
mastered  concerning  its  manipulation.  His  ani- 
mals, however,  he  acquires  without  previous  study, 


230  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

acquaintanceship,  or  knowledge,  and  forthwith  either 
ignorantly  tinkers  with  them  himself,  or  consigns 
them  to  the  tender  mercies  of  others  as  indifferent. 
The  future  of  his  machine  is  always  —  of  his  pets 
rarely  —  of  interest. 

There  are  some  men  to  whom  the  horse  does  not 
appeal;  there  are  others  who  entertain  affection 
and  regard  for  none  of  the  animal  kingdom.  Many 
such  are  mental  or  physical  weaklings,  and  lacking 
in  ordinary  nerve  or  courage.  It  has  always  seemed, 
however,  that  there  must  be  some  mental  failing 
in  the  normal  and  healthy  man  who  does  not  desire 
association  with  this  noblest  of  animals;  who  does 
not  exult  in  managing  and  directing  him ;  in  foster- 
ing his  energies,  and  ensuring  his  welfare ;  in  loving 
and  admiring  him.  A  something  is  lacking  in  such 
a  man's  individuality. 

All  animals  are  independent  of  man  for  food,  for 
shelter,  for  care,  or  for  protection ;  while  he,  in  one 
way  or  another,  must  absolutely  lean  upon  them  for 
sustenance,  for  progress,  in  labour,  or  in  war.  The 
luxuries  of  his  life  come  from  them;  the  essentials 


Obligations  to  Dumb  Dependents  231 

would  be  lacking  and  he  would  become  worse  than 
the  aboriginal  but  for  them.  Unassisted  by  them 
agriculture  and  commerce  would  be  impossible. 

There  is  a  very  general  reluctance  to  admit  that 
animals  have  the  power  of  reasoning,  as  tending  to 
place  the  brute  upon  too  high  a  plane,  and  to  destroy 
the  dominant  birthright  of  man.  The  same  nervous 
system  holds  sway,  however,  in  both,  whatever  may 
^e  alleged  regarding  the  spiritual  or  intellectual 
faculties. 

The  organs  of  sight,  smell  (or  scent),  and  hearing 
are  far  more  powerfully  developed  in  the  brute  than 
in  man,  as  more  essential  to  his  safety  and  to  his 
sustenance,  and  as  thus  preparing  him  the  more  per- 
fectly for  our  uses.  His  faculties  and  powers  are 
exactly  graded,  and  closely  limited  to  the  position 
he  must  fill,  and  it  is  for  us  to  appreciate  the  fact 
and  recognise  the  limitations.  This  very  inferiority 
constitutes  their  strongest  claim  to  our  merciful 
consideration  and  patient  cultivation.  The  faculty 
of  concentration  —  and  its  preliminary  and  essential 
factor,  attention  —  is  a  most  striking  attribute  of 


232  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

the  dumb  beast.  His  memory  is  wonderful,  and  his 
association  of  ideas  exact.  His  imagination  is  of 
the  strongest  —  your  dreaming  dog,  your  shying 
horse,  prove  that. 

As  the  Hon.  George  B.  Loring  says  of  him,  "  The 
horse,  with  all  his  powers  and  inclinations,  is  perfect 
in  the  situation  in  which  he  is  placed.  Were  his 
intelligence  greater,  he  might  possibly  inquire  into 
the  right  by  which  we  hold  the  power  that  we  exert 
over  him.  Were  his  courage  and  spirit  higher  he 
might  rebel  against  our  cruelties.  Were  his  muscular 
powers  considerably  increased  he  might  bid  defiance 
to  our  attempts  to  subjugate  him.  But  as  our 
servant  he  is  full  of  the  intelligence  and  spirit  and 
strength  which  we  require. 

"  In  verse,  in  prose,  in  paint,  and  in  marble,  from 
the  beginning  of  all  things,  the  horse  has  been  im- 
mortalised; throughout  all  advances  in  civilisation 
and  Christianity,  he  has  played  his  important  part 
—  humble,  patient,  enduring.  Think  of  the  achieve- 
ments and  progress  along  all  lines  —  military,  agri- 
cultural, scientific,  exploration,  travel,  oommunica- 


Obligations  to  Dumb  Dependents  233 

tion  —  what  you  will  —  and  what  wondrous  abate- 
ment would  be  chronicled  if  accomplishments  directly 
and  indirectly  due  to  equine  abilities  were  to  be  sub- 
tracted from  the  sum  total. 

"  As  history  records,  so  let  posterity  receive  and 
uphold  him,  —  the  helpmeet  of  humanity  in  all  emer- 
gencies, the  alleviator  of  its  troubles,  the  lessener 
of  its  toils,  the  contributor  to  its  enjoyments,  the 
promoter  of  our  health,  seeking  in  return  but  rational 
treatment,  kindly  usage,  fostering  care  in  youth  and 
decrepitude,  and  decent  burial.  Can  we  not  perform 
that  duty  to  our  animals  which  we  confess  we  owe 
to  our  fellow  men  and  to  our  God  ?  " 


CHAPTER    IV. 
Homes  for  Horses 

THE  writer  has  always  thought  that,  had  he 
the  means,  he  would  construct  a  home  for 
horses  (and  for  all  animals),  which  should  be 
managed  along  practical  lines,  largely  self-sup- 
porting, affording  a  hospital  for  the  maimed,  a  rest 
for  the  weary  and  weak,  a  home  for  the  aged,  a 
refuge  for  the  friendless,  a  sanctuary  for  all  those 
pitiful  dumb  lives  about  which  we  talk  and  write 
so  much,  and  for  which  we  really  do  so  little.  All 
honour  to  those  who  have  accomplished  the  existing 
good  —  but  think  of  what  remains  undone,  and  the 
possibilities  of  such  protection,  the  duties  of  such 
provision ! 

Certain  refuges  have,  up  to  date,  existed  as 
private  enterprises,  but  in  too  many  cases  they  have 
continued  only  during  the  life  of  the  benefactor, 

234 


Homes  for  Horses  235 

or  have  struggled  along  under  an  inadequate  pro- 
vision made  by  will.  Legislative  action  is  what  is 
needed,  and  these  homes  should  be  maintained  in 
every  State,  and  be  subjects  for  support  in  part 
from  State  funds.  A  portion  of  the  revenues  which 
are  now  devoted  by  legal  enactment  to  the  interests 
of  State  and  county  fairs  might  well  be  diverted  to 
these  uses,  and  a  vast  amount  of  benefit  thereby 
*  accrue,  not  only  from  the  protection  such  institutions 
would  afford  our  dumb  animals,  but  from  the  object- 
lessons  they  would  furnish,  the  practical  illustra- 
tions they  would  afford,  of  the  care  of  all  creatures 
in  health  and  sickness,  the  educational  benefits  they 
would  provide  for  the  class  of  people  who  need  it 
most.  Our  cattle-shows  are  for  the  most  part  such  in 
name  only,  and  serve  but  as  a  mask  to  levy  upon  the 
public  coffers  for  tribute  to  be  expended  in  offering 
purses  for  trials  of  speed,  —  a  worthy  object  in  its 
way,  but  hardly  deserving  of  compulsory  support 
from  the  taxpayers  of  the  community.  Such  homes, 
properly  situated,  could  be  made  in  a  large  measure 
self-supporting,  were  practical  methods  of  manage- 


236  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

ment  inaugurated.  They  could  afford  a  resting- 
place  for  the  horses  and  other  animals,  beast  or  bird, 
of  the  rich  as  of  the  poor,  and  the  care  provided 
should  be  so  superior  to  other  boarding  farms,  etc., 
that  extensive  revenues  would  result.  The  slave 
of  the  poor  man  could  be  rested  and  fattened  at 
cost  price,  another  being  meanwhile  leased  to  him 
at  a  low  figure  for  brief  periods,  and  subject  to 
inspection  at  suitable  intervals,  that  its  welfare  might 
be  assured.  Horses  could  be  educated,  cured  of  vice 
or  trick,  thoroughly  trained  for  different  purposes, 
all  at  reasonable  charges.  Dogs  could  be  boarded 
as  well,  cured  of  disease,  conditioned,  and  sold  or 
given  away  to  responsible  owners.  Cats  could  be 
handled  in  the  same  way,  as  could  birds  or  any  of 
the  army  of  pets  which  are  fancied  by  mankind. 
Demonstrations  could  be  made  of  the  care  appro- 
priate for  every  sort  of  animal  in  health  or  disease ; 
for  their  proper  usage  by  young  and  old;  their 
acceptable  food,  etc.,  and  courses  of  lectures 
given  upon  these  and  kindred  subjects  in  some 
building  in  the  city,  and  in  various  localities  adja- 


HORSES'  HOMES. 


Homes  for  Horses  237 

cent,  which  should  be  practical,  descriptive,  and 
intelligible,  —  vastly  advancing  along  common  sense 
lines  the  appreciation  of  our  duties  to  our  dumb 
dependents. 

Such  a  place  would  need  plain,  inexpensive  accom- 
modations for  all  the  different  varieties  of  boarders 
and  pensioners,  together  with  a  certain  amount  of 
land  for  yards  and  paddocks;  better,  of  course,  if 
it  also  contain  sufficient  acreage  for  the  pasturing 
of  horses,  etc.,  at  certain  seasons,  and  for  the  grow- 
ing of  hay  and  various  other  useful  crops.  This  is 
really  not  vitally  important,  and  could  hardly  be 
obtained  in  a  locality  which  must  be  as  near  to  the 
city  as  this  institution  should  be,  in  order  that  ani- 
mals might  be  led  or  cheaply  transported  to  and 
fro,  and  that  patrons  might  find  it  easily,  quickly, 
and  cheaply  accessible  —  for  this  establishment 
would  exist  for  the  poor  rather  than  for  the  rich. 

The  procuring  of  supplies,  in  such  a  case,  would 
be  as  inexpensive  by  purchase  as  by  production. 
Nearness  to  the  city  would  mean  that  land  in  any 
quantity  would  be  expensive  to  acquire,  and  forage 


238  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

crops  cannot  cheaply  be  grown  upon  such  costly 
fields.  A  few  tons  of  this,  a  few  bushels  of  that, 
would  cost  far  more  than  they  would  come  to. 
Feed,  fodder,  etc.,  can  be  purchased  cheaply  —  very 
cheaply  —  if  one  knows  where,  when,  and  how  to 
buy  and  is  located  near  wholesale  markets;  and 
this  holds  true  even  when  prices  are  highest.  A 
horse  can  be  kept,  and  well  kept,  in  idleness  at  such 
a  place  for  about  one  dollar  per  week,  or  less  if 
pasturage  or  soiling  can  be  secured  for  five  to  six 
months  per  year.  Not  only  can  he  be  kept,  but  he 
can  be  fattened  as  well.  Dogs  cost  but  a  few  cents 
per  day,  and  if  harboured  in  quantities,  so  that  sup- 
plies could  be  bought  at  wholesale,  can  be  well  cared 
for  at  about  a  dollar  and  a  half  per  month,  or  fifteen 
to  eighteen  dollars  per  year.  The  writer  has  kept 
them  in  large  quantities,  —  in  packs  of  fox-hounds 
of  thirty  or  forty  couple,  —  and  that  for  two  years 
or  more  at  a  time,  and  knows  just  what  the  expense 
is;  just  what  to  buy,  and  how  to  buy  it;  and  his 
experiences  are  at  the  service  of  any  one  who  cares 
to  ask.  In  the  same  way  he  has  had,  for  years, 


Homes  for  Horses  239 

large  quantities  of  horses,  etc.,  in  his  care,  some- 
times five  hundred  or  more,  and  the  prices  named  for 
keep  are  correct  and  proven  so. 

No  charge  is  made  for  shelter,  etc.,  but  the  plain, 
practical,  and  inexpensive  buildings  recommended 
would  cost  so  very  little  that  the  expense  per  head 
domiciled  would  be  very  small,  the  items  of  interest 
and  repairs  extremely  low.  For  instance,  box  stalls, 
etc.,  and  a  suitable  building  can  be  erected  for  about 
ten  dollars  each  head  of  horses  sheltered,  —  a  build- 
ing that  will  last  without  external  repairs  of  any  sort 
for  five  years,  but  may  then  need  patching  as  to 
roofing;  practically  arranged,  warm,  airy,  perfectly 
suitable  in  every  way  for  the  purposes  intended.  In 
most  cases,  of  course,  there  would  already  exist  build- 
ings of  some  sort  which  might  need  only  fitting  up. 

The  large  amount  of  manure  obtained  upon  such 
a  place  would  quickly  raise  to  a  very  high  state  of 
fertility  what  few  acres  might  be  available  for  tillage, 
ensuring  a  most  advantageous  and  profitable  return 
from  the  growth  of  various  crops  for  the  provision 
of  green  food  to  be  used  in  "  soiling  "  —  i.  e.  feeding 


240  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

green,  vastly  to  the  benefit  of  all  horses,  etc.,  which 
could  thus  in  summer  be  always  kept  in  airy  and 
darkened  boxes  away  from  the  flies  during  the  day- 
time and  turned  out  into  the  paddocks  at  night,  thus 
gaining  in  comfort  and  in  flesh.  In  fact,  "  soiling  " 
is  so  thoroughly  useful  a  form  of  pasturing  animals, 
and  so  entirely  does  away  with  all  its  usually  attend- 
ant drawbacks,  that  it  is  quite  sure  to  advance  in 
favour  everywhere,  and  to  receive  general  commen- 
dation, as  well  upon  the  score  of  economy  as  upon 
that  of  practical  and  convenient  feeding  methods. 

Receipts  could  be  augmented  by  the  purchase  of 
thin  horses,  and  their  re-sale  or  leasing  for  brief 
periods  after  they  had  become  again  in  good  condi- 
tion, —  a  very  profitable  proceeding  where  the  requi- 
site opportunities  of  purchase  offer,  as  they  do  in  the 
sale  marts  of  all  large  cities. 

Revenue  could  be  obtained  in  so  many  ways  from 
such  a  place,  and  its  proper  supervision  is  so  easy, 
that  it  is  astounding  that,  as  private  individuals 
ignore  them,  the  Society  for  the  Prevention  of 
Cruelty  to  Animals  has  not  seen  to  the  establishing 


Homes  for  Horses  241 

of  such  "  Snug  Harbours  "  adjacent  to  all  our  cities. 
It  is  in  these  practical  ways  that  this  society  can  do 
much  good,  and  surely  it  has  at  its  command,  or  can 
secure,  the  needful  funds  for  the  purchase,  or  lease, 
and  maintenance  of  such  places;  while  its  vast 
connection  among  the  wealthy  and  the  philanthropic 
should  enable  it  not  only  to  provide  such  homes,  but 
also  to  find  an  immediate  clientele  of  patrons  who 
would  be  but  too  glad  to  avail  themselves,  either 
temporarily  or  permanently,  of  such  boarding-places 
for  their  animals. 

There  are  thousands  of  men  to-day  who,  if  they 
stop  to  think,  have  it  on  their  conscience  that  they 
have,  at  the  caprice  of  fashion,  docked  horses  which, 
when  their  usefulness  was  done,  passed  down  to  the 
cab  and  the  peddler's  wagon,  to  suffer  that  acutest  of 
tortures,  —  or  so  designated  by  savage  tribes,  —  un- 
protected exposure  to  the  attacks  of  insects.  Many 
a  paterfamilias  has  accepted  a  mere  pittance  for  the 
trusted  old  family  horse  which  for  years  has  never 
missed  a  day  nor  made  a  mistake  in  the  family's 
service,  but  which  is  ruthlessly  allowed  to  go,  decrepit 


242  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

as  he  has  become,  to  the  service  that  has  in  it  only 
the  hardest  labour,  the  barest  living,  and  so  down 
to  an  ignominious  death.  The  faithful  old  dog, 
disfigured  by  accident  or  incurable  disease,  is  often 
given  away  or  heartlessly  destroyed,  without  a 
thought  of  the  pleasure  and  the  safety  he  has 
afforded.  The  family  cat,  tenderly  nurtured  from  a 
kitten,  returns  some  day  to  find  the  home  empty, 
the  family  moved,  himself,  helpless  and  enervated 
by  foolish  pampering,  abandoned  to  starve,  or  to 
shift  for  himself  as  best  he  can. 

Can  we  not  afford  our  animals  at  least  a  decent 
burial,  if  we  are  too  inconsiderate  and  too  selfish  to 
provide  for  their  declining  and  enfeebled  years  that 
comfort  which  is  their  due?  Surely  we  must  answer 
for  our  crimes  of  omission  and  commission  in  such 
relations,  and  we  certainly  cannot  take  refuge  behind 
the  plea  of  necessity  for  such  thoughtless  acts. 

The  man  who  becomes,  by  purchase  or  gift,  the 
owner  of  a  helpless  animal  is  morally  responsible 
for  its  future  welfare  through  life;  some  day  per- 


PAST  THEIR  PRIME. 
i.  Three  old  pensioners  at  a  horses'  home.  —  2.  Still  in  service. 


Homes  for  Horses  243 

haps  he  will  also  be  made  legally  so.  If  he  buy 
and  sell  as  a  business,  and  animals  are  in  his  pos- 
session only  transiently,  of  course  the  case  is  dif- 
ferent, but  still  he  should  use  all  due  care  to  ensure 
his  property  a  satisfactory  home  and  a  capable  owner. 

The  consumer,  so  to  speak,  is,  however,  in  the 
position  of  guardian  to  his  defenceless  dependent, 
and  surely  there  must  be  some  reckoning  if  he  fail 
in  his  trust;  or  if  he  accept  a  few  miserable  dollars 
for  a  pitiful  relic  which  deserves  at  his  hands  at 
least  a  painless  end. 

Men  say  they  cannot  bear  to  kill  an  animal,  and  in 
the  same  hour  condemn  one  to  worse  than  death, 
by  disposing  of  him  to  a  heartless  brute  who  finds,  as 
he  often  acknowledges,  that  it  is  "  cheaper  ter  drive 
a  hoss  day  and  night  until  he  dies  than  ter  bother 
ter  care  for  him ;  if  he  costs  twenty-five  dollars  and 
lives  twenty-five  days,  it's  more  economical  than  to 
hire  one  at  a  dollar  and  a  half  per  day."  Nor  are 
such  heartless  proceedings  unknown  among  the 
ranks  of  the  users  of  cheap  horses,  and  many  an  one 


244  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

of  their  wretched  slaves  is  practically  never  out  of 
harness  from  the  day  of  purchase  until  he  gasps 
out  his  miserable  life  upon  the  pavement  where  he, 
in  exhaustion,  falls. 


part  ID* 
Ibealtb  anfc  Comfort 


part  ID* 
•fcealtb  ant)  Comfort 

CHAPTER   I. 
Food,  Grooming,  Water,  Clipping,  Etc. 

THE    term    stable    management    includes    a 
variety  of  subjects  connected  with  the  man- 
agement of  horses,  to  discuss  all  of  which  in  a 
detailed  manner  would  be  impossible. 

The  most  important  part  of  stable  management 
consists  in  the  proper  feeding  and  watering  of 
horses.  In  fixing  the  rations  the  quantity  and  kind 
of  work  must  be  considered.  It  will  not  do  to  feed 
all  horses  alike;  a  difference  in  the  feeding  must  be 
made  between  horses  doing  slow  work,  and  those 
which  have  to  perform  their  tasks  at  a  fast  pace. 

•47 


248  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

Again,  a  horse  doing  hard  work  must  be  fed  differ- 
ently from  one  doing  but  little.  It  may  seem  al- 
most superfluous  to  mention  this,  but  mistakes  are 
so  frequently  made  in  feeding  horses  that  it  may  be 
of  use  to  draw  attention  to  it.  Grooms  may  of  them- 
selves sometimes  be  unable  to  apportion  the  rations 
in  regard  to  quantity  and  quality  according  to  the 
manner  of  labour  the  horses  in  their  charge  are 
required  to  do.  Unless,  in  such  cases,  the  owner 
himself  sees  to  this  and  supervises  in  some  degree 
the  feeding  of  his  horses,  they  will  not  be  as  useful 
and  in  such  good  condition  as  they  might  be.  It 
must  also  be  borne  in  mind  that  improper  feeding 
is  frequently  the  cause  of  disease  and  illness. 

Especial  attention  must  be  paid  to  the  feeding  of 
horses  which  go  out  irregularly  and  get  but  little 
exercise.  This  is  frequently  the  case  with  carriage- 
horses  in  towns  and  with  saddle  hacks.  Too  high 
feeding  in  such  instances  is  often  the  cause  of  filled 
legs  and  of  turbulent  behaviour. 

In  feeding  the  horse  it  should  always  be  remem- 
bered that  his  stomach  is  very  small,  and  that  this 


Food,  Grooming,  Water,  Clipping  249 

is  a  universal  characteristic  of  his  race.  The  con- 
stitution and  the  physical  needs  differ  in  each  indi- 
vidual, and  to  obtain  the  best  results  their  variations 
must  be  recognised  and  provided  for.  "  Best 
results  "  are  rarely  striven  for,  however,  and  "  good 
enough  "  generally  suffice. 

If  food  could  be  given  often  and  in  small  quan- 
tities, the  animal  would  thrive  better  —  thus  four  or 
five  periods  are  better  than  three.  Still  he  does  fairly 
well  upon  the  usual  number  of  meals. 

Hay,  oats,  and  bran  —  oats,  bran,  and  hay  —  the 
majority  of  our  humble  servants  rarely  know  the 
taste  of  the  dozens  of  other  appropriate  and  cheap 
foods  which  their  owners  neither  trouble  to  provide 
nor  to  investigate.  Suppose  we  imagine  a  weekly 
bill  of  fare  (susceptible  of  endless  changes)  which 
will  be  as  gratifying  to  the  horse  as  economical  to 
the  master  —  and  therefore  advantageous  to  both. 

Monday.  Breakfast  —  hay,  oats ;  dinner  —  corn 
on  the  ear;  supper  —  hay  (sprinkled  with  brine), 
stale  bread,  and  roots  (carrots,  etc.). 

Tuesday.    Breakfast  —  cut  feed  (chaff,  meal,  and 


250  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

bran) ;  dinner  —  oats ;  supper  —  hay,  cracked  corn, 
and  oats  mixed. 

Wednesday.  Breakfast  —  stale  bread  and  oats, 
hay ;  dinner  —  cut-feed  (oat-meal)  ;  supper  —  hay 
(sprinkled  with  sweetened  water),  oats  with  carrots 
or  apples. 

Thursday.  Breakfast  —  hay,  stale  bread,  and 
molasses ;  dinner  —  oats  and  double  handful  of  grass 
(if  obtainable);  supper  —  hay  (sprinkled  with 
brine),  cracked  corn. 

Friday.  Breakfast  —  cut-feed  (corn-meal  and 
bran) ;  dinner  —  carrots  and  bread ;  supper  —  hay 
and  oats. 

Saturday.  Breakfast  —  hay,  cracked  corn; 
dinner  —  oats;  supper  —  hay  and  bran-mash,  with 
half-pint  flaxseed  jelly  (made  by  pouring  boiling 
water  on  handful  flaxseed  and  letting  it  "  jell "). 

Sunday.  Breakfast  —  stale  bread,  hay ;  dinner, 
oats  and  molasses ;  supper  —  hay  and  cracked  corn. 

Cheap  molasses  and  salt  are  valuable  condiments, 
if  diluted  with  water,  and  make  a  most  useful  addi- 
tion, as  flavouring  extracts,  to  any  meals.  Raw  mo- 


Food,  Grooming,  Water,  Clipping  251 

lasses  is  an  excellent  and  very  fattening  food  in  itself, 
and  the  writer  knew  a  pair  of  nearly  toothless  old 
horses  which,  for  years,  lived  upon  twelve  quarts  of 
molasses  per  day,  and  what  juice  they  extracted  from 
the  hay  and  grass  which  they  could  mumble  and 
crush,  but  could  not  chew. 

Stale  bread  (cake,  etc.)  may  be  bought  of 
the  bakeries  at  about  fifty  cents  a  sugar  (not  flour) 
barrel,  broken  up  with  a  sharp  spade  or  axe,  and 
fed  dry,  or  moistened,  or  sprinkled  with  sweetened 
water,  or  with  a  few  chopped  carrots,  apples,  turnips, 
beets,  etc.  Where  this  can  be  obtained  in  quantity 
it  is  wonderfully  satisfactory  and  very  cheap. 

Whole  corn  on  the  ear  (and  cracked  corn)  should 
be,  of  course,  winter  foods,  if  used;  but  the  ear 
corn  is  especially  tempting  to  Western  horses,  and 
they  will  eat  it  gladly  when  all  else  is  refused. 

Linseed  meal  is  nearly  valueless,  as  modern  proc- 
esses extract  all  the  oil.  The  whole  flaxseed  is  most 
valuable,  and  should  be  regularly  used  in  mashes, 
etc.  Its  jelly  (made  as  described)  is  capital  for  pro- 
ducing a  shining  smooth  coat,  for  regulating  the 


252  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

bowels,  and  for  adding  to  a  repast  a  savoury  fra- 
grance which  few  horses  can  resist. 

Corn-meal,  oat-meal,  bran,  etc.,  are  capital  as 
change  foods,  and  should  always  be  fed  mixed  with 
hay  (or  straw),  which  has  been  cut  short  and 
moistened,  thus  affording  the  gastric  juices  a  chance 
to  promptly  ensure  digestion.  Cut  feed  should  not 
be  fed  in  large  quantity  —  about  four  quarts  of  the 
mixture  is  enough  —  and  the  chaff  should  be  very 
short.  If  fed  regularly  it  ensures,  from  fermentation, 
sooner  or  later,  an  acid  stomach  and  colic.  To  pre- 
vent these  results,  a  tablespoonful  of  the  following 
should  be  mixed  with  each  feed : 

Bicarbonate  of  Soda 
Gentian  (powdered) 
Ginger  (powdered) 

Equal  parts ;  mix. 

The  coarse  and  strawlike  timothy  hay  which  is 
in  such  demand  is  never  needful  for  ordinary  feeding 
—  nor  has  it  the  nourishment  nor  varying  flavours 
of  the  cheaper  mixed  grades,  while  it  is  vastly  more 
expensive.  Clover-mixed  hay,  fine  hay  (including 


Food,  Grooming,  Water,  Clipping  253 

red-top,  June  grass,  etc.),  if  of  good  quality, 
sells  from  $5  to  $10  per  ton  cheaper,  and  if 
always  sprinkled  to  allay  any  dust,  and  flavoured 
with  various  acceptable  condiments,  even  the 
cheapest  grades  prove  wholesome  and  satisfactory, 
as  do  corn- fodder  (or  blades),  and  bright  sweet 
oat  or  wheat  straw.  Of  course,  if  the  animal 
is  to  be  hunted,  or  raced,  or  put  to  any  use  when 
hay  is  regarded  as  but  "  roughage,"  to  healthfully 
distend  the  stomach  and  intestines,  the  best  timothy 
is  demanded. 

One  will  find,  if  he  cares  to  try,  various  grains 
(rye,  barley,  etc.)  that  are  not  quite  up  to  the 
market  requirements,  and  therefore  sold  very  cheap. 
These  if  cooked  (covered  with  boiling  water,  and 
allowed  to  stand),  mixed  with  bran,  etc.,  and 
(possibly)  flavoured  in  various  ways,  make  excel- 
lent foods,  and  will  all  be  relished,  and  devoured 
eagerly. 

Grass  is  necessary,  and  should  be  in  the  season 
grazed  for  a  few  minutes  daily  if  attainable,  or  cut 
and  fed.  It  will  (as  will  any  green  food,  roots,  etc.) 


254  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

prove  laxative  until  the  system  adapts  itself  to  it  — 
but  not  afterward.  A  sod,  earth  and  all,  is  greatly 
relished. 

"  Hay  tea  "  is  excellent  for  nourishing  and  fat- 
tening a  "  shy  "  feeder,  or  a  horse  that  is  wanted 
to  make  flesh  quickly.  It  is  made  by  cutting  fine 
sufficient  hay,  when  pressed  down  firmly,  to  half  fill 
a  bucket ;  covering  this  hay  with  boiling  water,  and 
the  bucket  with  a  blanket  or  two;  and  leaving 
the  liquid  to  steep  for  an  hour  or  so.  The  resulting 
fluid  has  all  the  strength  of  the  hay,  and  either  alone 
or  mixed  with  a  little  molasses  or  flaxseed  jelly,  will 
be  greedily  taken  and  prove  most  nourishing.  Noth- 
ing is  better  for  any  animal  that  is  feverish  and  will 
not  eat;  and  these  will  always  drink. 

Occasionally  one  will  come  across  a  horse  which, 
otherwise  suitable,  has  proven  almost  impossible  to 
keep  in  good  flesh,  or  one  that  needs  only  this  addi- 
tion to  round  out  and  symmetrically  expand 
an  attenuated  frame  to  develop  into  an  animal 
as  ornamental  as  useful;  or,  still  more  practi- 
cally, one  may  make  it  a  practice  to  seek  for 


Food,  Grooming,  Water,  Clipping  255 

the  horses  which  are  always  to  be  found  in  auction 
marts,  at  sales  stables,  or  in  private  hands,  which 
have  through  hard  usage  or  long-continued  sick- 
ness so  shrunk  in  condition  as  to  become  hide-bound, 
thin,  and  unsalable  at  anything  approaching  their 
actual  value.  Such  horses  prove  the  best  purchases 
possible  for  the  man  of  moderate  means,  and  if 
they  have  youth  on  their  side  and  are  nearly  sound, 
he  cannot  do  better  than  to  make  a  practice  of  buying 
one  or  more  of  them,  according  to  his  needs ;  using 
them  for  a  time  in  his  family  work,  and  then  dis- 
posing of  them  either  at  auction  or  by  private  treaty 
for  the  advance  that  a  fat  horse  always  brings  over 
one  that  is  thin,  be  the  salesman  never  so  indif- 
ferent a  hand  at  negotiating  such  bargains. 

By  following  this  plan  a  man  gains  two  very 
practical  ends,  —  he  gets  his  work  done  for  nothing, 
or  next  to  it,  since  the  advance  received  will  wholly 
or  partially  repay  the  outlay  for  food,  etc.,  leaving 
him  the  work  performed  as  an  unassailable  and 
most  valuable  asset ;  and  by  thus  constantly  chang- 
ing his  horses,  he  is  saved  those  twinges  at  the 


256  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

heart-strings,  and  the  possible  remorse  which  fol- 
lows the  disposal  of  some  family  pet  endeared  to  all 
by  labours  patiently  performed,  activity  displayed, 
and  enjoyment  promoted.  Nor  is  this  the  least 
advantage  to  be  gained  from  this  method  of  pro- 
cedure, since  while  we  should  care  for  our  old 
friend  to  the  end,  and  ensure  him  not  only  comfort 
in  his  age,  but  burial  at  his  end,  it  is  always  incon- 
venient and  frequently  nearly  impossible  to  do  so; 
nor  can  such  an  one,  in  his  declining  years,  render 
the  service  which  we  demand,  or  should  exact,  were 
he  able  to  respond.  Therefore,  sentiment  goes  as 
ever  but  ill  hand  in  hand  with  utility,  and  we  shall 
do  well  not  to  allow!  "  Fannie  "  or  "  Charley  "  to 
entwine  themselves  too  closely  in  our  lives  and 
hearts,  but  sternly  treat  them  as  but  the  means  to 
temporary  usefulness,  maintaining  their  health  and 
augmenting  their  vigour  while  in  our  charge,  and 
quickly  passing  them  on  thence  to  other  ownerships 
in  first-class  condition  to  continue  to  earn  actively 
that  honourable  livelihood  which  is  their  right  to 
demand  and  our  duty  to  promote.  It  is  perhaps  a 


Food,  Grooming,  Water,  Clipping  257 

rather  callous  view  of  the  matter,  and  quite  gen- 
uinely a  selfish  one,  but  if  we  get  our  work  for  a 
brief  period  capably  performed  at  no  expense  to  us, 
and  provide  the  market  with  an  animal  of  good 
character,  able  at  once  to  perform  the  same  satis- 
factory work  for  another  owner,  perhaps  after  all 
we  "  build  better  than  we  know." 

The  thin  horse's  digestion  is  generally-  weakened, 
and  what  he  needs  is  nutritious  and  easily  assimi- 
lated food  given  frequently  and  in  small  quantities. 
The  animal's  stomach  is  very  small  in  proportion 
to  his  size,  and  he  will  almost  surely  overload  it  if 
given  the  chance.  Therefore  frequent  feedings  are 
necessary,  and  cooked  food  is  generally  most  useful, 
such  as  boiled  oats,  linseed  mashes,  etc.,  as  recom- 
mended in  this  chapter.  Milk  may  often  be  obtained 
at  a  reasonable  price,  and  horses  will  soon  learn 
to  drink  it. 

A  supply  of  salt  should  be  found  in  all  stables. 
This  is  best  provided  in  the  shape  of  a  lump  of  rock 
salt,  to  which  every  horse  should  have  access., 
Horses  doing  little  work  are  more  in  need  of  salt, 


258  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

or  —  to  put  it  more  accurately  —  require  a  larger 
amount  of  it  than  do  horses  doing  hard  work.  It 
is  well  to  bear  this  in  mind. 

Cleanliness,  plenty,  and  regularity  in  feeding  and 
watering,  are  the  all-important  details,  and  nothing 
should  be  left  under  a  horse's  nose  to  sour  and  thus 
nauseate  him.  If  all  feed-boxes,  etc.,  are  removable, 
as  recommended  in  the  chapter  on  stable  fittings,  etc., 
this  will  be  assured;  and  never  doubt  the  benefit  to 
yourself  or  your  steed. 

Reverting  to  the  question  of  whether  straw  or 
peat-moss  is  preferable  for  bedding,  this  is  difficult 
to  decide,  as  both  have  their  advantages.  In  the 
country  straw  will  be  the  cheaper  material,  while 
in  the  towns  peat-moss  litter  may  be  more  economi- 
cal. Where  expense  is  an  object,  considerations 
of  economy  will  influence  the  choice  of  the  one  or  the 
other  material.  Straw  undoubtedly  looks  best  and 
most  comfortable.  On  the  other  hand,  peat- 
moss ranks  first  in  regard  to  absorptive  power.  A 
combination  of  it  and  straw,  putting  the  latter  on 


Food,  Grooming,  Water,  Clipping  259 

top,  of  course,  might  answer  all  requirements  very 
satisfactorily. 

In  some  instances  sawdust  is  used  for  litter,  and 
serves  the  purpose  of  absorbing  moisture  very  well, 
provided  it  is  itself  dry.  As  a  rule,  it  is  not  as  useful 
as  straw  or  peat-moss,  and  its  use  is  not  advisable 
except  where  it  is  at  hand,  and  for  horses  on  whose 
appearance  little  stress  is  laid. 

No  animal  can  fatten  and  thrive,  none  can  eat 
well  and  prove  really  rugged  and  healthy,  if  he  is 
not  a  frequent  and  a  deep  drinker.  This  essential  in 
the  fattening  steer,  'hog,  or  sheep  is  vitally  necessary 
to  the  horse ;  and  he  who  is  dainty  about  his  drink, 
or  who  takes  it  in  small  quantities,  is  delicate  some- 
where in  his  make-up,  as  hard  work  will  prove.  The 
old  drovers  would  always  select,  as  likely  to  fatten 
quickly,  the  cattle  which  drank  and  returned  again 
to  the  trough  —  let  their  bodily  condition  be  at  the 
time  what  it  might.  The  amount  of  fluid  consumed, 
even  though  they  are  all  eating  the  same  amount  of 
dry  food,  will  vary  greatly  among  individuals,  and 
watering  with  buckets,  instead  of  from  a  trough, 


260  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

will  afford  opportunity  to  learn  each  animal's  neces- 
sities, and  to  appreciate  how  vastly  they  vary  in 
amount. 

Buckets  intended  for  drinking  should  never  under 
any  pretext  be  used  for  other  purposes.  Such  ves- 
sels should  be  sweet,  clean,  and  not  offensive  to  the 
creature's  delicate  scent,  as  they  will  be  if  used  to 
contain  dirty,  soapy  water,  etc. 

Water  should  always  stand  in  the  horse's  stall, 
and  an  iron  crescent  (falling  flat  against  the  wall 
when  not  in  use)  will  fit  nicely  round  the  bucket 
and  keep  it  secure  in  its  place  upon  the  floor.  The 
animal  is  not  necessarily  thirsty  at  six,  twelve,  and 
six  any  more  than  we  are  ourselves ;  and  his  great- 
est drought  comes  to  him  late  at  night  when  he  has 
consumed  a  large  amount  of  dry  provender.  If 
water  is  always  at  hand,  horses  will  never  drink  too 
much  and  suffer  possibly  from  colic,  etc.,  in  conse- 
quence. 

Water  may  be  given  at  any  time  —  immediately 
after  exercise  if  desired  —  provided  it  be  warmed 
to  nearly  the  temperature  of  the  body;  nor  will  any 


Food,  Grooming,  Water,  Clipping  261 

evil  results  follow,  if  this  precaution  is  taken,  and 
if  the  circulation,  pulsation,  and  respiration  are  tran- 
quil and  normal.  You  take  water  freely  yourself  — 
even  ice-water  —  and  escape  all  harm.  In  what 
does  your  horse  differ  from  you  that  he  must  be 
left  to  suffer  ? 

Moderately  "  soft  "  water  is  best  and  most  appe- 
tising and  favourable  to  condition;  still  the  system 
will  adapt  itself  to  the  "  hardest."  Water  should  not 
be  made  warm  in  taking  the  "  chill  off,"  as  that  is 
not  tempting,  but  merely  raised  to  a  reasonable 
temperature,  as  that  of  the  stable. 

In  any  case,  a  horse  should  never  be  stinted  in 
his  water-supply,  and  always  have  as  much  as  he 
wants,  unless  he  is  under  the  care  of  a  veteri- 
nary who  may  have  given  orders  to  the  contrary. 
Too  many  people  still  cling  to  that  old  cruel 
and  senseless  practice  of  keeping  a  horse  short  in  his 
water-supply,  as  they  think  it  is  beneficial  to  hard 
condition.  It  is,  of  course,  true  that  an  unseasoned 
horse  drinks  considerably  more  water  than  one  that 
is  in  hard  'condition  and  more  or  less  in  training, 


262  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

when  both  do  an  equal  amount  of  work.  The  reason 
for  this  is  that  a  horse  in  hard  condition  and  used  to 
work  requires  less  water,  as  he  does  not  get  so  tired, 
and  perspires  and  sweats  less  than  a  horse  which  is 
not  in  training.  But  this  is  no  reason  why  a  horse 
should  be  allowed  less  water  than  he  requires  to 
drink. 

Grooming  is,  properly  performed,  a  regular  mas- 
sage to  the  entire  body.  The  currycomb  should  be 
used  only  to  clear  the  body-brush,  and  all  cleansing 
accomplished  with  "  dandy-brush,"  body-brush, 
cloth  and  sponge,  or  damp  wisp  of  straw.  Grooms 
are  fond  of  banging  away  at  horses  with  their  wisps, 
rub  cloths,  etc.,  but  there  is  no  sense  in  it.  Clean 
the  body,  etc.,  thoroughly,  but  quickly,  quietly,  and 
gently ;  nor  fear  to  use  water,  always  providing  that 
bandages  are  loosely  rolled  upon  the  legs  (and  down 
to  the  hoofs)  to  ensure  quick  and  thorough  drying. 
Washing  may  be  employed  regularly,  in  the  proper 
seasons,  and  if  quickly  scraped  and  thoroughly  blan- 
keted, the  subject  is  all  the  cleaner  for  the  process. 
A  horse  at  grass  is  washed  by  every  shower,  and  as 


Food,  Grooming,  Water,  Clipping  263 

water  does  not  hurt  him  there,  neither  will  it  in  the 
stable,  due  precautions  being  taken.  The  same 
sponge  should  never  be  used  for  the  face  and  mouth 
as  for  the  rest  of  the  body.  Treat  the  animal  decently 
and  with  respect. 

A  tired,  wet,  and  muddy  horse  should  be  covered 
warmly,  bandaged  comfortably  (over  mud  and  all) 
and  left  alone  until  next  day.  You  don't  want  to 
be  fussed  over  for  an  hour  or  two  yourself  in  such 
cases.  Of  course  his  blanket  should  be  changed, 
when  he  has  "  steamed  out,"  but  that  is  all. 

Reasonable  precautions,  however,  consist  not  in 
warding  off  every  draught,  etc.,  of  fresh  air  and 
keeping  him  muffled  to  the  eyes  in  clothing  (ensur- 
ing the  insensible  perspiration  which  may  lead  to  seri- 
ous results,  if  he  gets  a  chill),  but  the  providing  for 
an  existence  that  is  rational  and  as  nearly  natural  as 
may  be.  The  animal  was  meant  to  withstand  ordi- 
nary exposure  —  see  that  he  gets  it.  Insist  upon  his 
being  thoroughly  cool,  inside  and  out,  before  he  is 
put  away,  and  then  let  the  air  have  full  chance  at 
him ;  nor  clothe  him,  save  in  the  coldest  weather,  or 


264  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

when  wet,  etc.,  or  if  he  has  been  clipped.  Your  stable 
temperature  should  be  right  (about  sixty  degrees  or 
as  near  it  as  may  be),  and  kept  at  that  as  you  keep 
your  house.  Thus  no  clothing,  or  only  the  lightest, 
will  suffice. 

The  obtaining  of  a  good  gloss  on  the  coat  of  a 
horse  is  one  of  the  chief  cares  of  the  stable.  The 
means  employed  for  this  purpose-  are  frequently 
objectionable  and  even  harmful  to  his  health  and 
usefulness.  A  glossy  and  short  coat  in  horses  doing 
work,  and  particularly  fast  work,  is,  of  course, 
greatly  to  be  desired,  and,  if  it  has  been  obtained 
by  legitimate  means,  increases  the  capacity  of  the 
animal  for  labour  and  exertion.  The  principal  factor 
in  producing  a  polish  on  the  coat  is  plenty  of  groom- 
ing. To  ensure  glossy  and  short  coats  by  keeping 
the  temperature  of  the  stable  at  too  high  a  point  is 
eminently  bad  and  must  be  severely  condemned. 
Yet  some  are  addicted  to  this  practice.  Too  much 
clothing  has  also  a  prejudicial  effect  on  horses, 
though  a  sufficiency  of  it  is  to  be  recommended.  It 
is  much  better  to  ensure  the  horses  being  properly 


Food,  Grooming,  Water,  Clipping  265 

warm  by  allowing  them  an  adequate  amount  of 
clothing  than  by  keeping  the  stable  too  warm.  In 
many  cases  the  temperature  of  the  stable  is  not  only 
too  high,  but  the  clothing  also  is  too  heavy.  In 
deciding  as  to  the  amount  of  clothing  necessary,  the 
warmth  of  the  stable  will,  of  course,  have  to  be  taken 
into  consideration.  It  must  be  remembered  that  the 
proper  amount  of  clothing  is  not  a  fixed  quantity, 
but  depends  upon  circumstances.  Two  thin  rugs 
are  warmer  than  one  thick  one  of  weight  equal  to 
the  thin  ones  together.  A  rug  made  of  porous  wool 
is  best,  and  it  is  to  be  preferred  to  any  other  kind. 
Some  food  stuffs  have  a  beneficial  effect  on  the 
gloss  of  the  coat  of  a  horse,  especially  those  con- 
taining much  oil  or  fats,  such  as  flaxseed,  etc.  With 
proper  grooming  and  clothing  nothing  more  is 
required  to  ensure  a  good  glossy  coat.  Keeping  the 
hair  short  depends  on  having  the  horse  sufficiently 
clothed  and  on  grooming  him  properly;  while  an 
adequate  supply  of  food  is  also  necessary.  It  would 
be  wrong,  however,  to  attempt  to  obtain  shortness 
of  coat  by  too  high  a  temperature  of  the  stable. 


266  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

The  effects  of  a  hot  stable  are  most  to  be  apprehended 
in  carriage-horses,  which  are  left  standing  out  in  the 
cold  for  a  longer  or  shorter  period,  when,  of  course, 
they  are  most  liable  to  catch  cold.  It  would  be 
advisable  to  throw  a  rug  over  them,  though  with 
harness  horses  in  cities  this  is  not  possible  in  many 
cases. 

It  would  require  too  much  space  to  go  here  into 
the  question  of  clipping.  It  will  suffice  to  say  that 
it  is  necessary  to  remove  the  coat  if  it  is  long  and 
the  horse  has  to  do  fast  work.  Clipping  is  not  an 
unmixed  blessing,  however,  and  when  it  is  possible 
to  keep  the  coat  short  by  legitimate  means  it  is 
advisable  to  do  so  and  to  dispense  with  it.  To 
some  extent  the  question  of  the  thickness  of  the 
coat  depends  on  the  individual  horse,  some  horses 
having  heavier  coats  than  others.  Thoroughbred 
and  well-bred  horses  have  a  shorter  coat  as  a  rule 
than  underbred  horses,  and  young  horses  than  old 
horses. 

The  practice  is  quite  universal,  but  it  is  carried 
to  extremes,  and  the  horse  for  family  use,  etc.,  if 


Food,  Grooming,  Water,  Clipping  267 

not  cursed  with  a  heavy  coat,  is  as  well  or  better 
without  it,  if  assured,  as  he  should  be,  of  adequate 
stable  care;  or  his  body  may  be  clipped,  and  the 
legs,  chest,  etc.,  left  covered,  presenting  possibly  an 
odd  appearance,  but  not  more  so  than  the  docked 
and  "  hog-maned  "  horse  of  fashion.  This  method 
protects  the  extremities  and  the  vital  points  of  the 
lungs,  etc.;  the  blood  returns  from  the  legs  at  a 
reasonable  temperature;  and  a  single  blanket  will 
prove  as  warm  to  a  horse  thus  treated  as  two  or 
more  to  the  creature  denuded  of  all  his  hair.  If  in 
vigorous  health  the  coat  will  be  short  and  glossy, 
if  the  horse  is  fairly  well-bred,  and  a  little  trimming 
about  the  fetlocks  will  make  everything  shipshape. 
The  coat  of  such  a  one  will  also  shed  very  early  — 
and,  by  the  way,  when  this  is  taking  place  do  not 
expect  too  much  of  him,  for  he  will  probably  be 
sympathetically  out  of  sorts. 

Gray  and  white  horses  must  be  washed,  at  least 
about  the  joints  and  quarters,  with  soap  and  water ; 
a  little  blueing  (washerwoman's)  will  remove  any 
stains;  white  stockings,  etc.,  must  be  similarly 


268  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

treated.  If  a  gray  horse  is  wiped  over  before  going 
out,  with  the  hands  (upon  which  rosin  has  been 
rubbed),  all  the  loose  hairs  will  come  away,  and 
will  not  defile  the  coat,  dress,  etc. 

If  a  horse  is  tired  and  wet,  a  brisk  shampoo  of 
alcohol  and  water,  followed  by  a  good  scraping  and 
proper  clothing,  will  close  the  pores  and  prevent 
risk  of  colds,  etc. 

Do  not  allow  the  surcingle  to  be  buckled  too 
tightly.  Blankets  are  made  nowadays  with  straps, 
which  keep  them  in  place  and  cause  no  painful  pres- 
sure anywhere.  Many  a  horse  is  prevented  from 
lying  down,  or  resting  easily  if  he  does,  because  the 
surcingle  is  drawn  so  tight  that  the  chest  is  uncom- 
fortably compressed  and  the  backbone  painfully 
pinched  —  even  badly  bruised.  So  common  is  this 
error,  that  of  one  hundred  horses,  you  will  find 
seventy-five  too  tightly  girthed  by  from  one  to  three 
holes. 


a  I 

3  I 


g    oo 


CHAPTER   II. 
Shoeing  and  the  Feet 

SOONER  or  later,  either  through  one  of  those 
temporary  indispositions  which  so  frequently 
place  animals  on  the  retired  list,  or  because  you 
are  developing  that  interest  in  horses  in  general, 
and  your  own  in  particular,  which  should  be  a  cause 
of  so  much  self-congratulation,  you  begin  to  "  take 
notice,"  as  we  say  of  the  children,  and  before  you  are 
really  aware,  have  fallen  a  victim  to  some  special 
opinions  regarding  shoeing  and  the  treatment  of 
the  feet. 

Well  for  yourself  and  for  your  property,  if  such 
is  the  case;  because  what  a  foundation  is  to  a  house 
are  his  feet  to  a  horse,  and,  as  you  would  not  occupy 
the  one  if  defectively  underpinned,  so  the  other  can- 
not long  satisfactorily  serve  you  if  his  shoes  do  not 
fit ;  his  feet  get  out  of  plumb  and  his  joints  fail,  in 

269 


270  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

consequence,  to  work  easily,  and  free  from  undue 
friction. 

When  you  have  talked  over  the  matter  with  all 
and  sundry;  invested  in  and  completely  absorbed 
the  pabulum  afforded  by  the  various  treatises 
on  these  subjects,  you  will  probably  arrive  at 
the  writer's  conclusion  —  and  practice  will  surely 
confirm  your  opinion  that,  first,  any  system  of  shoe- 
ing which  does  more  than  simply  to  protect  the  ex- 
posed hoof  from  wear  is,  in  the  long  run,  unneces- 
sary ;  second,  that,  as  to  its  ground  surface,  at  least, 
the  normal  foot  must  be  maintained  in  its  original 
shape  and  development ;  third,  that,  save  for  special 
purposes  (as  balancing  the  trotter,  governing  high 
action  for  the  carriage-horse  or  securing  foothold 
for  the  draught-horse) ,  this  protection  should  be  of 
the  lightest  and  narrowest;  fourth,  that,  given  a 
normal  foot,  the  ordinary  conditions  of  private  usage 
preclude  the  necessity  of  any  protection  whatever; 
fifth,  that  the  saving  of  expense  resulting  from 
such  a  system  is  very  considerable  —  at  least  twenty- 
five  dollars  per  year  per  horse;  so  that  in  a  period 


Shoeing  and  the  feet  271 

of,  say,  ten  years,  the  mere  reduction  of  the  black- 
smith's bills  amounts  to  what  your  horse  cost;  and 
that  in  addition  you  then  have  an  animal  uninjured  as 
to  legs  and  feet,  and  able  so  to  continue  until  inca- 
pacitated by  disease  or  accident. 

There  exists  the  necessity  always  (given  a  sub- 
ject that  has  worn  shoes  for  years)  to  allow  time 
for  nature  to  reach  the  point  where  the  vessels  are 
stimulated  to  produce,  in  sufficient  quantity  to  repair 
waste,  the  new  material  of  the  foot,  to  replace  satis- 
factorily the  wear  which  the  horn  is,  at  first,  too  ten- 
der to  adequately  resist.  The  foot  must  be  tough- 
ened, and  be  encouraged  by  proper  moisture  to  rapid 
growth ;  and  time  must  at  first  be  frequently  allowed 
for  rest,  that  this  renewal  may  be  commensurate  with 
wear. 

The  all  important  point  in  using  a  barefooted 
horse  is  to  keep  his  feet  growing,  properly  balanced, 
and  level.  Wet  swabs,  etc.,  around  the  coronet 
should  be  used  nightly  (at  first)  in  order  to  stimulate 
growth,  etc.,  but  after  a  few  weeks  no  moisture 
should  be  applied,  save  the  ordinary  washing,  as  it 


272  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

makes  the  horn  too  soft,  and  the  consequent  wear 
too  rapid.  Never  touch  the  surface  of  the  foot,  more 
than  to  run  a  rasp  over  the  edges  of  the  quarters  and 
toes  to  level  the  tread.  No  horn  must  be  cut  away 
anywhere;  ordinary  usage  will  attend  to  all  that. 
Some  horses  wear  the  toes  faster  than  the  heels,  and 
vice  versa;  others  wear  one  quarter  lower  than  the 
other. 

No  horse,  if  left  barefoot,  interferes,  overreaches 
(for  long),  "  speedy  cuts,"  has  corns,  thrush,  or  shoe 
boils;  he  neither  stumbles  or  slips  on  ice  or  snow; 
he  hurts  but  little  if  he  kicks  you ;  he  grows  a  foot 
that  is  like  a  big  lump  of  india-rubber,  with  its  great 
wedge-shaped  frog  and  powerful  quarters  and  bars. 
No  quarter  cracks,  seedy  toe,  quittor,  etc.,  for  him; 
no  shortened  action,  laminitis,  navicular  disease,  etc. 

The  same  advantages  accrue  from  the  use  of  tips, 
save  that,  as  the  wear  at  the  toe  is  protected,  the  toe 
must  be  shortened  and  lowered,  and  the  tips  reset 
or  renewed  at  least  every  month.  Otherwise  the 
toe  insidiously  lengthens,  the  eye  becomes  accus- 
tomed to  ensuing  false  proportions,  and  the  strain, 


Shoeing  and  the  Feet  273 

thrown  by  this  false  balance  upon  the  joints  and 
back  tendons,  is  very  severe  —  harmfully  so. 

The  "  tip  "  proper  is  a  narrow  semicircle  of  steel 
or  iron  which  fits  into  a  groove  drawn  with  a  knife 
(equipped  with  a  proper  guard  to  ensure  equal 
depth)  around  the  toe,  and  just  inside  the  wall  of 
the  foot.  This  is  just  wide  and  deep  enough  to  re- 
ceive the  very  narrow  "  tip,"  and  to  allow  it,  con- 
fined by  three  nails,  to  come  just  below  the  surface 
of  the  toe,  and  thus  receive  the  wear.  It  extends 
round  the  toe  to  the  beginning  of  the  widest  part  of 
the  hoof  (about  the  middle).  A  level  foot  is  neces- 
sary, as,  if  pressure  is  uneven,  a  weak  quarter  may 
crack. 

No  grease  should  be  ever  applied  to  any  foot.  All 
dust  and  dirt  adhere  to  the  greasy  blacking  so 
generally  used,  and  a  wipe  over  with  a  damp  sponge 
affords  the  most  presentable,  and  the  only  necessary, 
dressing.  The  equine  foot  perspires,  and  is  full  of 
minute  pores  upon  its  surface,  as  is  your  own,  and 
any  application  of  grease,  etc.,  serves  but  to  clog 
these,  and  to  prevent  moisture  being  absorbed  by 


274  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

them,  as  it  must  to  preserve  health  in  the  horny 
structures. 

If  a  horse  has  never  been  shod,  it  is  astonishing 
what  an  amount  of  steady  wear  the  hoof  will  stand ; 
but  if  he  has  worn  shoes  for  years,  he  must  take  up 
his  changed  conditions  gradually.  Any  civilised 
being  who  has  worn  boots  during  his  lifetime  can 
go  as  barefooted  as  any  savage,  and  that  regularly, 
and  over  the  roughest  ground  if  he  will  but  begin 
gradually,  and  progress  carefully.  It  is  thus  also 
with  the  horse,  and  the  tip  ensures  the  advantages 
of  the  bare  foot,  yet  prevents  excessive  wear  at  the 
essential  point,  the  toe. 

The  trotter,  pacer,  and  the  fast  road-horse  must 
be  shod  more  or  less  elaborately ;  the  park  and  show 
horse  will  not  display  his  brilliant  action  without 
suitable  balancing,  as  by  abnormally  long  toes,  heavy 
shoes,  or  both.  The  draught  and  work  horse,  the 
express  and  car  horse,  need,  as  a  general  thing,  pro- 
tection of  the  most  enduring-.  The  writer  has  had 
sometimes  as  many  as  thirty  thoroughbred  yearlings 
in  his  care  for  breaking  and  for  training  for  their 


Shoeing  and  the  Feet  275 

trials  of  speed,  in  the  late  fall  of  their  yearling  form. 
These  were  ridden  daily  two  hours  or  more  over  the 
race-track  and  roads,  carrying  about  125  pounds 
each ;  and  although  in  work  from  June  until  the  end 
of  October,  were  never  shod  (save  in  one  or  two 
cases  where  the  feet  proved  weak  in  the  quarters). 
A  smith  levelled  the  feet  every  month — that  was  all. 
The  general  prophecy  was  that  this  practice  would 
work  ruin  to  them,  but  on  the  contrary  their  feet 
continued  perfectly  proportioned,  and  their  legs 
remained  clean  and  cool  even  in  the  hardest  work. 
A  saddle-hack  was  kept  barefooted  for  eight 
years ;  hacked  hard  all  winter  and  hunted  in  summer, 
yet  never  wore  a  shoe.  Road-horses  have  been  used 
thus  for  months,  and  horses  of  all  kinds  tested  thor- 
oughly under  these  systems.  The  saving  in  expense 
by  these  methods  applied  to  numbers  of  horses  is 
very  handsome.  Smiths,  professionals,  grooms, 
etc.,  will  frown  it  down  because  bills  and  various 
perquisites  are  thus  materially  lessened.  Try  it, 
however,  and  be  satisfied  with  no  one's  recommen- 
dation or  discouragement;  if  not  on  the  front  feet, 


276  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

then  the  hind;  if  not  all  the  year  round,  then  in 
winter  at  least,  when  the  barefooted  horse  goes  so 
safely,  and  the  shod  and  sharpened  is  so  dangerous 
not  only  to  himself  but  to  other  animals,  and  to  all 
persons  who  have  to  do  with  him.  Do  not  simply 
remove  the  shoes  from  a  ten  or  twelve  year  old 
horse,  then  use  him  doubly  hard  to  prove  that  the 
plan  is  wrong;  and  when  you  have  burst  his 
quarters,  worn  off  his  feet,  and  wrecked  him  gen- 
erally, lay  it  at  the  writer's  door;  but  try  it  intelli- 
gently, and  with  the  idea  that  it  is  a  good  thing, 
and  therefore  to  be  encouraged,  if  fair  chance  will 
ensure  it. 

We  apply  vastly  expensive  india-rubber  pads  to 
the  bottoms  of  our  horses'  feet  nowadays,  and  they 
are  acknowledged  to  be  the  only  perfect  means  to 
prevent  a  horse's  falling  when  travelling  over  slip- 
pery pavement,  asphalt,  ice,  snow,  etc. ;  and  so  they 
are.  Yet  these  effective  pads  are  nothing  but  an 
imitation  of  the  healthy  and  normal  surface  of  a 
horse's  hoof.  Any  horse  will  provide  his  own  pads 
if  you  will  but  give  him  a  chance. 


Shoeing  and  the  Feet  277 

If  you  must  use  a  full  shoe,  be  sure  that  you 
employ  a  narrow  one,  flat  on  the  foot,  and  convex  on 
the  ground  surface,  thin  at  the  heels,  and  be  certain 
that  it  is  fitted  to  the  foot,  not  the  hoof  to  it.  Never 
allow  a  knife  or  a  buttress  to  touch  the  horn ;  the  sur- 
plus will  flake  away  as  it  grows  too  old  and  drop  off; 
simply  shorten  the  toe,  and  level  with  the  foot  rasp ; 
never  allow  rasping  outside,  nor  excessive  "  draw- 
ing "  of  the  nails  in  clinching;  turn  clinches  well 
down  and  hammer  flat,  just  smoothing  them  (not 
the  horn)  with  the  rasp.  A  narrow  shoe  guarantees 
a  good  foothold,  and  a  great  big  frog,  that  takes  the 
pressure,  and  meets  the  concussion  as  nature  meant, 
prevents  slipping  in  ordinary  travel.  Remember  the 
walls  are  meant  to  take  the  pressure,  not  the  sole. 
If  the  ground  surface  of  the  shoe  be  convex  it  will 
further  imitate  the  shape  of  the  foot ;  and  its  flat  sur- 
face, next  the  horn,  should  be  rasped  as  smooth  as 
possible.  The  toe  should  always  be  bevelled  to  imi- 
tate the  shape  which  wear  has  caused  the  old  one 
to  assume;  this  is  very  important.  Six  nails  are 
enough,  and  no  shoe  needs  more;  five  will  often 


278  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

answer,  and  the  proper  hoof  expansion  under  the 
tread  is  thus  better  secured. 

Never  let  the  nails  take  more  than  a  "  short  hold  " 
of  the  horn;  slant  them  well,  that  they  may  cross 
the  grain  of  the  horn  and  ensure  enough  of  it  un- 
der them  to  clinch  nicely;  these  holes  must  grow 
down  —  they  cannot  disappear  otherwise  —  there- 
fore nearness  of  the  clinches  to  the  ground  surface 
helps  that  result.  Spread  the  nail  holes  well,  that  too 
much  strain  may  not  come  upon  any  one  part.  The 
shoe  should  always  be  easy  at  the  quarters  and  heels, 
thus  preventing  quarter-crack  through  improper 
pressure  at  the  quarters.  If  there  is  room  to  slip 
a  penknife  blade  freely  between  hoof  and  shoe  at 
these  points,  it  will  be  all  the  better.  Gentle  and 
repeated  taps  of  the  hammer  are  advisable  rather 
than  the  few  violent  blows  that  most  smiths  strike; 
wrong  direction  is  thus  checked  in  time,  and  pos- 
sible pricking  avoided.  Never  allow  "  cold  fitting  " ; 
few  men  can  do  it  properly,  and  those  few  will  not 
take  the  trouble;  on  the  other  hand,  never  permit 


Shoeing  and  the  Feet  279 

too  much  heat,  so  that  the  horn  is  needlessly  burned 
in  fitting  the  shoe. 

The  various  shapes  of  shoes  suitable  to  certain- 
diseased  conditions  will  not  be  touched  upon  here, 
for  the  reason  that  the  writer  knows  that,  if  his 
methods  are  followed,  these  conditions  will  be  re- 
lieved as  quickly  as  by  the  application  of  the  differ- 
ent special  fashionings,  so  common,  and  which  ably 
serve  their  purpose  if  they  imitate  nature  closely  and 
assist  her  processes. 

The  care  of  horse's  hoofs  is  in  recent  years  much 
simplified  because  of  the  advances  in  common  sense 
methods  which  have  been  so  generally  recognised 
and  improved  upon  by  horseshoers.  Twenty  years 
ago  one  had  literally  to  stand  over  the  smith  to  en- 
sure one's  directions  being  obeyed,  and  even  then 
they  were  avoided  if  possible.  Ample  discussion  by 
the  sporting  press,  numerous  works  on  the  subject, 
increased  intelligence  among  the  classes  of  workmen, 
have  all  helped  to  bring  about  this  result ;  so  that  to- 
day a  badly  formed,  diseased,  or  abused  foot  is  be- 
coming1 fairly  uncommon.  No  details  of  this  sort 


280  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

should  prove  uninteresting  to  any  one  who  owns  or 
uses  horses,  and  as  his  moral  and  personal  obligation 
is  to  afford  them  adequate  food,  care,  and  shelter,  so 
it  is  to  ensure  their  fitness  to  work,  and  to  so  labour 
in  comfort. 

To  this  end  nothing  is  so  important  as  a  normal 
and  healthy  foot  and  its  proper  care. 


£  I 

.  w 


z    S 


CHAPTER    III. 
The  Horse's  Clothes 

UNDER  this  head  may  reasonably  be  included 
not  only  the  blankets,  hoods,  and  so  forth, 
usually  thus  designated,  but  every  article  worn  at 
any  time  by  the  animal,  such  as  harness,  saddle 
and  bridle,  boots  or  bandages.  And  it  is  astounding 
how  very  generally  these  latter  articles  of  raiment 
are  ill-fitting  and  inartistically  donned.  Yet  harness 
is  as  important  an  article  of  horse  clothing  as  are 
blankets. 

Beginning,  then,  with  the  halter,  as  most  fre- 
quently in  use,  it  should  fit  loosely  about  the  ears 
and  jaws,  but  closely  around  the  throat  itself. 
Horses  vary  very  much  in  breadth  of  brow  and 
situation  of  ears,  and  the  brow-band  which  is  amply 
large  for  one  may  be  far  too  small,  or  much  too 
large,  for  another  animal  of  the  same  size  and  ap- 

281 


282  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

parent  shape.  A  Roman  nose  or  heavy  jaw  will 
necessitate  extra  length  of  nose-band  and  throat- 
latch,  yet  the  halter  will  often  be  left  as  originally 
buckled,  and  even  as  the  vain  and  giddy  try  to  jam 
a  number  eight  foot  into  a  number  six  shoe,  so  will 
any  such  article  of  equine  equipment  be  supposed  to 
fit,  provided  the  sufferer  can  wink  his  eyes,  wag  his 
ears,  and  move  his  jaws  to  masticate  his  food.  The 
cheek-straps  not  unusually  draw  forward  against, 
or  into,  the  edges  of  the  eyelid,  and  the  tie-rope  does 
not  play  freely  and  loosely  from  side  to  side  under 
the  chin  as  it  should ;  while,  as  often,  the  leather  of 
the  brow-band  (if  one  is  needlessly  worn)  is  hard 
and  sharp  on  its  edges,  and  uncomfortably  irritates 
the  thin  skin  at  the  base  of  the  ears.  The  animal 
will  always  demonstrate  'how  sensitive  'he  is  just 
here,  especially  when  heated,  by  rubbing  his  head 
against  you,  and  imploring  you,  by  every  art  at  his 
command,  to  allay  the  irritation  of  his  uncomfortable 
head  accoutrements,  and  remove  those  terribly  hot 
and  uncomfortable  blinkers,  that  the  air  may  have  a 
chance  at  the  sensitive  surfaces,  and  by  increasing 


The  Horse's  Clothes  283 

evaporation  allay  irritation.  There  should  never  be 
any  mark  of  the  halter  nose-band  on  the  face,  nor 
any  chafing  of  the  jaws  by  its  too  narrow  restric- 
tion, yet  many  a  horse  displays  these  evidences  of 
neglect.  The  halter  should  fit  in  every  part  as  care- 
fully as  the  bridle,  and  should  be  kept  always  well 
oiled  (if  of  leather),  and  as  soft  and  pliable  as  a 
glove.  Web  is  as  good  and  durable  as  leather,  but 
it  must  fit  as  smoothly  and  be  of  good  strength. 

Blankets  are  almost  invariably  cut  too  small  in 
the  neck,  put  on  too  far  back,  and  girthed  too  tightly. 
Watch  a  horse  feeding  from  the  floor,  and  see  how 
the  blanket  draws  across  the  windpipe.  Notice  how 
the  edges  of  the  shoulder-blades  show,  through 
abrasions  of  the  hair,  that  the  covering  is  drawn 
back  too  far  before  the  surcingle  is  imposed.  See 
how  many  people  throw  the  article  on  to  a  horse, 
and,  let  it  fall  as  it  will,  draw  it  forward,  against 
the  "  lay  "  of  the  hair,  into  place  before  fastening 
it.  To  put  a  blanket  on  properly,  throw  it  high  up 
and  well  forward,  so  that  it  falls  upon  the  neck. 
Then  buckle  the  breast-straps,  and  carefully  draw 


284  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

it  back,  the  centre  over  the  backbone,  until  the  bind- 
ing is  about  six  inches  above  the  root  of  the  tail; 
or,  as  some  horses  are  longer  than  others,  until  the 
breast  part  is  fully  a  foot  clear  of  the  brisket.  This 
leaves  ample  freedom  at  shoulder  and  windpipe, 
and  the  animal  can  lie  down  and  get  up,  feed, 
etc.,  without  any  uncomfortable  binding  sensations 
across  the  chest.  Now  put  on  the  surcingle,  well 
back  of  the  withers,  and  draw  only  so  tightly 
that  the  whole  hand  can  easily  pass  between 
it  and  the  ribs,  or  about  two  hbles  looser  than 
usually  drawn.  This  should  always  be  thickly 
padded,  or  a  folded  rub-cloth,  or  even  a  double  hand- 
ful of  straw,  put  under  it  upon  the  backbone,  to 
ensure  more  or  less  "  give."  One  strap  is  as  good 
as  two,  and  if  the  horse  is  light-waisted,  a  breast- 
plate around  the  chest  will  keep  the  surcingle  in 
place  better  and  more  properly  than  any  tight  girth- 
ing. Many  horses  are  so  drawn  up  by  their  care- 
takers ( ?)  that  they  will  not  lie  down,  as  the 
tightening  of  the  muscles  causes  acute  pain.  Ex- 
cellent blankets  are  made  nowadays  —  and  none  are 


The  Horse's  Clothes  285 

better  for  either  night  or  day  use  —  which  need  no 
surcingle,  but  carry  their  own  body  fastenings, 
which  hold  them  very  fairly  in  place.  Night  clothing 
for  gray  or  white  horses  should  be  long,  come  well 
down  the  sides,  and  be  lined  for  two  feet  along  the 
edges  with  canvas  or  oilskin,  that  the  wearers  may 
not  be  stained  when  lying  down.'  Street  blankets 
should  be  square,  very  large  and  long,  lapping  far 
over  the  chest,  and  should  be  caught  together  under- 

-^ 

neath  the  wearers  that  extra  warmth  may  be  af- 
forded. Every  horse  compelled  to  stand  about  in 
winter  should  wear  a  chest  protector  of  carpet  or 
canvas,  and  it  should  fit  him  neatly. 

Bandages  are  usually  rolled  much  too  tight,  and 
it  must  be  remembered  that  each  fold  binds  the 
others  tighter,  and  may  interfere  with  or  stop  cir- 
culation. Let  the  average  groom  bandage  your 
horse,  and  you  will  find  that  in  twenty  minutes  you 
may  stick  a  pin  in  his  coronet  and  he  will  not  feel 
it,  so  completely  is  all  sensation  destroyed.  If  you 
must  bandage  tightly,  always  wrap  the  legs  in  cotton 


286  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

batting  first,  as  its  elasticity  will  prevent  the  evil 
effects  named. 

As  to  the  harness,  we  begin  with  the  saddle,  which 
is  always  put  on  first.  It  is  a  curious  instance  of  our 
stereotyped  and  unreasoning  manner  of  performing 
all  work  about  horses  that  we  allow  our  grooms, 
almost  invariably,  to  approach  the  animal  from  the 
near  side,  and  to  throw  the  girths  over  the  back, 
instead  of  placing  the  pad  in  place  from  the  off  side, 
which  is  much  more  practical,  since  the  man  can  at 
once  arrange  the  girths  for  buckling  on  the  near 
side,  and  then  go  round  and  draw  them  up.  He  usu- 
ally, however,  throws  the  pad  on  the  back  from  the 
near  side,  pushes  the  girths  over,  thereby  rumpling 
the  hair,  goes  round  the  horse,  arranges  the  girths, 
and  after  putting  on  the  crupper,  goes  back  again 
to  buckle  up  the  straps  on  the  near  side.  The  pad 
should  be  gently  put  in  place,  not  hurled  roughly; 
the  tail  grasped  firmly,  and  after  the  hair  has  been 
carefully  arranged  in  place,  it  should  be  lifted  high, 
and  the  crupper  drawn  over  it  and  snugly  up  under 
the  root.  Thence  the  right  hand  slides  along  the 


The  Horse's  Clothes  287 

back-strap  to  the  pad,  which  it  seizes  and  arranges 
carefully  in  place  just  in  the  swell  of  the  withers; 
and  when  so  placed,  the  left  hand  seeks  the  girth,  and 
it  is  buckled  just  tightly  enough  to  keep  the  pad  in 
place.  Great  care  must  always  be  taken  that  the 
back-strap  is  loose,  and  it  should  always  lie  easily 
along  the  backbone,  and  never  be  strained  tightly 
under  the  tail.  More  accidents  from  horses  thus  tor- 
tured come  to  pass  than  from  any  other  cause,  be- 
cause even  the  most  gentle  will  kick  if  thus  painfully 
accoutred,  and  especially  going  down  hill.  The 
crupper  itself  must  always  be  large,  thick,  and  well- 
padded;  the  pad  girth  broad,  and  also  better  if 
padded;  and  the  belly-band  should  always  be  con- 
fined by  loops  placed  upon  this  pad  girth,  that  it 
may  not  pinch  the  horse,  as  it  will  if  separate.  The 
crupper  is  really  unnecessary,  and  serves  no  purpose 
at  all,  save  that  if  the  animal  gets  the  tail  over  the 
reins  the  thick  crupper  prevents  that  appendage  from 
shutting  down  upon  them  too  firmly.  This,  however, 
no  horse  would  do  did  we  take  the  trouble  to  edu- 
cate him  tc  allow  his  tail  to  be  quietly  lifted  by  the 


288  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

rein  and  slid  from  under  it,  but  this  we  are  in  too 
much  of  a  hurry  to  attempt.  The  breeching  answers 
every  purpose  for  holding  back  a  load,  and  for  keep- 
ing the  back-strap  in  place,  and  the  crupper  is  as 
useless  on  the  single  (or  double)  harness  as  upon 
the  riding  saddle,  where,  thirty  years  ago,  it  was 
also  deemed  essential.  The  pad  must  be  thickly 
stuffed,  and  never  allowed  to  rest  upon  the  top  of 
the  backbone,  and  its  stuffing  should  not  be  per- 
mitted to  become  thoroughly  caked  and  inelastic,  but 
dried  and  worked  up  soft  every  week  or  so. 

The  breeching  should,  as  a  rule,  hang  about  upon 
a  level  with  the  stifles,  and  should  allow  ample  play 
for  the  quarters  at  any  pace.  There  is  no  excuse  for 
any  abrasion  of  the  hair  upon  the  quarters,  and,  if 
any  is  evident,  it  is  plain  that  the  owner  is  careless 
and  indifferent,  and  that  his  man  does  not  know  the 
merest  rudiments  of  his  business. 

If  collar  and  hames  are  worn,  they  should  never 
be  donned  as  one  piece,  but  the  hames  taken  off, 
the  collar  well  sprung  by  pressure  across  the  knee, 
and  then  placed  gently  over  the  head  and  ears,  not 


The  Horse's  Clothes  289 

roughly  jammed  down  upon  sensitive  brows  and 
ears  by  "  main  strength  and  stupidity,"  as  Paddy 
sawed  the  wood.  Once  over  them,  it  is  to  be  quietly 
turned,  placed  in  position,  the  mane  carefully  drawn 
from  beneath  it  (a  few  locks  should  always  be  cut 
away  just  where  its  top  rests  upon  the  neck),  and 
the  hames  replaced  and  buckled  snugly.  Be  sure 
that  the  collar  is  close  fitting,  thickly  padded,  and 
true  shaped.  A  new  collar  should  be  soaked  in  a 
tub  for  a  few  minutes  before  putting  it  on  for  the 
first  time,  and  then  the  strain  at  work,  and  the  pres- 
sure of  the  shoulders  will  cause  it  to  yield  and  to 
dry  into  an  exact  fit.  Every  horse  should  have  his 
own  collar,  and  no  other  should  ever  wear  it.  The 
outlay  is  trifling,  and  the  practical  results  worth 
many  times  the  cost.  Many  collars  are  made  shaped 
with  a  curve  at  the  top,  but  there  are  but  few  ani- 
mals good-shouldered  enough  to  wear  them,  and  the 
nearly  straight  pattern  is  the  most  generally  useful. 
The  fingers  of  the  hames,  i.  e.  the  brass  arms  to 
which  the  traces  attach,  must  spring  well,  that  the 
traces  may  not  chafe  the  shoulders  and  sides,  and 


290  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

the  position  of  these  fingers  must  be  carefully  regu- 
lated by  taking  up  or  letting  out  the  straps  (or 
chain)  at  bottom  and  top  of  hames,  according  to  the 
shape  of  the  shoulder,  and  to  whether  the  animal  is 
naturally  low  or  high  headed.  If  low-headed,  and 
not  checked,  the  neck  will  almost  surely  chafe  at  the 
points  of  the  shoulders,  and  such  subjects  need 
checking  for  their  own  welfare,  the  S.  P.  C.  A.  to 
the  contrary.  It  will  be  found  by  those  who  care 
to  investigate  that  the  majority  of  animals  showing 
raw  places  on  the  lower  part  of  the  shoulder  are 
thus  formed,  and  not  properly  safeguarded  by  ac- 
curate fitting  collars,  properly  placed  drafts,  and 
more  or  less  tight  check-reins. 

If  the  breast  collar  is  worn,  it  should  hang  well 
clear  of  the  windpipe,  yet  not  so  loose  that  it  works 
below  the  shoulder  points.  It  should  be  broad  and 
softly  padded  where  it  crosses  the  breast,  and  kept 
soft  and  pliant. 

The  bridle  should  fit  accurately  at  every  point, 
and  be  long  enough  to  allow  the  bit  to  hang  in  place, 
and  not  to  wrinkle  the  edges  of  the  mouth;  while 


The  Horse's  Clothes  291 

the  bit  must  be  wide  enough  and  as  large  of  mouth- 
piece as  possible  commensurate  with  proper  control. 
The  brow-band  must  be  long  enough,  yet  not  too 
long,  so  as  to  project  away  from  the  forehead.  Its 
edges  must  be  soft  and  pliant. 

The  blinkers  should  be  taken  up  so  that  two-thirds 
of  their  surface  is  above  the  lower  line  of  the 
eye,  being  thus  more  becoming,  while  at  the  same 
time  preventing  the  animal  from  seeing  over  them. 
They  should  flare  widely,  and  most  of  them  are  far 
too  closely  confined. 

The  bridle,  when  it  is  to  be  put  on,  should  be 
quietly  held  up  by  the  right  hand,  and  the  bit  taken 
in  the  left  fingers.  The  insertion  of  the  left  thumb 
at  the  mouth  angle  will  induce  the  horse  to  open  his 
motuth,  and  the  bit  is  quietly  slipped  in,  after  which 
the  ears  are  gently  inserted  in  the  brow-band,  and 
the  foretop  laid  smoothly  in  place.  The  mane 
should  be  cut  away  for  an  inch  just  where  the  bridle 
lies,  and  be  kept  cut  short.  The  average  groom  is 
very  rough  about  these  operations,  and  jams  the 
bit  against  the  teeth  until,  through  pain,  the  mouth 


292  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

opens,  when  he  rams  the  steel  into  place,  and  rubs 
the  bridle  over  the  crown,  dragging  the  ears  through 
very  harshly,  and  leaving  the  foretop  straggling 
about  anyhow. 

Harness  should  be  removed  in  the  same  gentle 
way:  the  bridle  carefully  taken  off,  after  loosening 
curb-chain,  etc.,  the  names  removed,  and  the  collar 
stretched  a  little  before  displacing,  the  saddle  un- 
girthed,  the  tail  lifted,  and  the  crupper  gently  drawn 
over  it,  and  not,  as  too  often  seen,  roughly  dragged 
away  by  hauling  at  the  pad.  A  horse's  valet  should 
be  as  gentle-handed  as  though  he  were  garbing  a 
most  particularly  irascible  master. 

The  operations  of  saddling  and  bridling  the  rid- 
ing horse  are  accomplished  as  quietly.  The  groom 
approaches  from  the  off  side,  the  girths  folded  under 
the  saddle  skirt,  or  over  the  seat,  the  stirrups  run  up 
on  their  leathers.  He  lays  the  saddle  quietly  in  place, 
well  back  of  the  shoulder  —  about  a  hand's  length 
—  and,  drawing  down  the  girths,  goes  round  to  the 
near  side  to  buckle  them  in  place,  leaving  them  a 
hole  or  two  looser  than  their  "  working  point "  if 


The  Horse's  Clothes  293 

the  horse  is  not  to  be  immediately  used.  Horses 
of  a  thin  skin  are  better  saddled  some  time  before 
being  called  for,  that  the  saddle  may  warm  to  the 
back,  as  otherwise  the  weight  of  the  rider  may  so 
press  the  cold  and  possibly  damp  surface  into  the* 
sensitive  skin  that  they  will  buck  and  plunge  from 
sheer  discomfort. 

The  padding  should,  of  course,  be  well  dried  and 
beaten  after  use,  and  kept  soft.  Every  saddle  should 
fit  like  a  glove,  and  it  is  perfectly  easy  to  ride  upon 
such  a  one  without  girths  or  stirrups,  for  it  will 
retain  its  position  almost  exactly. 

The  bridle-bits  should  be  large,  and  both  bit  and 
bridoon  cannot  be  of  too  great  circumference  as  to 
mouthpieces,  the  so-called  "  Dexter  snaffle,"  used 
for  driving  the  light  harness  horse,  making  the  best 
possible  bridoon. 

The  bit  is  usually  placed  too  low,  the  bridoon 
much  too  high  —  frequently  six  holes  too  short  — 
while  the  curb-chain  is  generally  very  narrow  and 
sharp  of  link.  This  should  be  broad,  and  lie  easily 
in  the  chin  curve. 


294  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

Boots,  whether  knee,  ankle,  or  shin,  will  be  needed 
by  some  horses  of  untrue  action.  They  should  all 
fit  perfectly,  and  be  well  oiled,  so  that  pliability  may 
continue.  The  properly  fitting  boot  will  stay  in  place 
if  quite  loosely  buckled,  while  no  precaution  will 
hold  the  badly  made  boot  in  place.  If  a  horse  inter- 
feres, a  piece  of  thick  leather  cut  in  a  shape  like  saw 
teeth  and  placed  between  shoe  and  foot  will  prove  an 
incessant  reminder,  and  probably  prevent  the  fault, 
while  at  the  same  time  it  is  not  as  noticeable  as  is 
a  boot.  It  extends  from  about  one-third  around  toe 
to  the  heel,  beginning  flush  with  the  foot,  and  grad- 
ually increasing  to  one  inch  at  the  heel,  and  is  cut 
into  teeth  or  angles  all  the  way. 

Your  horse's  caparisons  are  his  clothes,  and,  as 
you  are  particular  about  your  own,  do  him  the  same 
honour,  for  both  your  sakes. 


I'hotographs  by  T.  K.  Marr,  Uoston. 

A  GLORIOUS  QUARTETTE. 

Owned  by  Thomas  W.  Laivson. 

i.  GLORIOUS  RED  CLOUD  and  GLORIOUS  THUNDER  CLOUD. — 
2.  GLORIOUS  WHIRLING  CLOUD  and  GLORIOUS  FLYING 
CLOUD. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

Preventable  Hardships  Due  to  Our  Climate 
and  Environments 

THE  American  climate  is  liable  to  so  many 
and  to  such  sudden  and  violent  fluctuations, 
that  the  careless,  ignorant,  or  unaccustomed  horse- 
keeper  is  apt  to  inflict  much  needless  discomfort  and 
suffering  upon  his  horses,  and  this  in  the  most 
unintentional  way.  While  the  trying  period  of 
summer  affords  especial  occasion  for  negligence, 
the  sterner  time  of  winter  is  no  less  prolific  of  such 
incidents. 

Beginning  with  the  trials  common  to  the  winter 
solstice,  one  finds  that  inattention  to  clipped  horses, 
or  to  those  wearing  coats  of  undipped  hair  is  very 
common ;  as  is  the  fashion  of  clipping  many  animals 
which,  being  used  at  slow  work,  should  never  have 
been  thus  operated  upon  at  all.  The  carriage-horse 

295 


296  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

of  fashion  is  condemned  to  spend  many  hours  wait- 
ing about  the  windy  streets  while  madame  is  shop- 
ping, or  at  the  theatre  or  other  entertainment.  His 
vital  organs,  wholly  denuded  of  their  natural  cover- 
ing of  long  hair,  are  totally  unprotected  from  the 
rigours  of  the  climate,  unless  the  absurd  and  insuffi- 
cient little  loin-cloth  which  is  sometimes  worn  under 
the  harness  may  be  dignified  by  the  title  of  blanket. 
This  article,  usually  of  leather  or  waterproof,  covers 
the  loins  only,  from  the  saddle  back,  and  extends  but 
a  little  way  down  the  sides.  This  handbreadth  it 
protects  from  rain,  but  it  also,  from  its  texture, 
induces  an  insensible  perspiration  which  renders  its 
wearer  afterward  very  prone  to  be  chilled,  and  to 
take  cold  across  the  loin  and  "  small  of  the  back," 
unless  he  is  properly  shampooed  with  alcohol  upon 
his  return  to  the  stable,  for  the  purpose  of  closing 
the  pores.  Every  city  should  pass  an  ordinance 
requiring  all  horse  owners  to  blanket  fully,  warmly, 
and  dryly  any  horse  which  stands  about  the  streets 
for  more  than  ten  minutes  in  any  one  place.  The 
delivery  wagon  and  truck-horses  are  blanketed 


Preventable  Hardships  297 

warmly  and  suitably  in  dry  cold  weather,  as  a  general 
thing,  and  their  waterproof  covers  are  all  that  could ' 
be  desired,  protecting  them  from  ears  to  tail.  The 
woollen  blankets  which  are  worn  by  many  truck- 
horses  become  sopping  wet  in  rainy  weather,  and 
teamsters  have  a  fashion  which  is  most  pernicious,  of 
folding  them  forward,  so  as  to  impose  five  or  six 
thicknesses  over  the  animal's  shoulders  while  he  is 
actively  at  work,  and  as  soon  as  he  stops,  by  pulling 
the  blanket  back  over  the  body,  greatly  expose  the 
lungs  to  chill.  Such  blankets  should  never  be  used 
in  wet  weather,  and  the  authorities  should  compel 
the  substitution  of  waterproofs.  The  breastplate  of 
carpet  or  other  heavy  material  should  always  be 
worn  by  such  horses,  as  it  protects  directly  the  lungs, 
and  affords  a  great  safeguard  in  high  winds,  cover- 
ing the  chest  as  a  blanket  rarely  does.  No  blanket 
at  all  is  better  than  a  heavy  wet  one,  and  the  drain 
made  upon  the  bodily  heat  by  such  an  incumbrance 
is  very  severe,  and  likely  to  result  in  injury  to  the 
tired  or  exhausted  horse.  It  is  true  that  exposure 
seems  often  to  do  the  animal  no  harm,  provided  he  is 


298  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

in  a  robust,  rugged  state  of  health,  and  working 
every  day  —  as  witness  all  our  cab  and  express  and 
other  slaves,  but  there  is  no  need  to  subject  them 
to  unnecessary  hardships. 

If  such  horses  must  be  clipped  they  should  not 
be  touched  over  the  chest  nor  legs,  but  these  parts 
left  protected  by  their  natural  covering,  that  the 
extremities  may  be  warm,  the  circulation  thus  equal- 
ised, and  the  seat  of  life  protected.  Horses  clipped 
in  this  way  (over  the  body,  neck,  and  head  only) 
look  rather  odd  until  one  becomes  accustomed  to  it, 
but  it  is  a  thoroughly  practical  proceeding,  and  one 
that  affords  much  satisfaction  to  those  who  follow  it. 

Too  few  drivers  are  careful  to  turn  their  horses' 
tails  to  a  driving  wind,  snow,  or  rain,  but  you  may 
see  them  facing  a  howling  gale  all  day  on  many  of  the 
public  streets.  Not  only  is  it  the  creature's  instinct 
to  turn  his  back  to  a  storm,  but,  when  in  harness,  the 
vehicle  affords  a  partial  screen  and  windbreak.  The 
private  carriage-horse,  checked  high  and  staring  up 
into  a  gale  which  a  man  cannot  face,  presents  a 
pitiful  sight. 


Preventable  Hardships  299 

The  use  of  fly-nets  and  of  sponges  and  hats  upon 
the  tops  of  the  bridles  of  working  horses  should,  in 
this  country,  be  compulsory.  The  nets  should  cover 
the  neck  as  well  as  the  body,  and  be  worn  from  June 
to  September  at  least,  not  only  in  harness,  but  upon 
saddle-horses  as  well.  They  are  very  inexpensive, 
not  unornamental,  and  an  imperative  need. 

Watering-places,  for  winter  as  for  summer  uses, 
are  not  half  plentiful  enough.  Thirst  is  as  torment- 
ing in  the  cold  season  as  in  the  warm,  if  the  tempera- 
ture of  the  water  be  reasonably  moderate,  and  every 
few  blocks  should  provide  plentiful  fluid  for  man, 
horse,  dog,  etc.,  at  all  periods  of  the  year.  Nor  is 
this  all  —  such  places  should  be  provided  with  hose 
or  buckets  in  hot  weather,  and  with  a  placard  teach- 
ing how  to  cool  a  horse  quickly  and  thoroughly. 
This  is  best  done  by  dashing  water  between  the  hind 
and  front  legs,  over  the  head,  and  down  the  full 
length  of  the  spine.  Such  a  bath  will  make  a  new 
creature  of  the  panting,  exhausted  slave  which  stag- 
gers up  to  the  trough  apparently  ready  to  drop.  If 
nothing  else  can  be  done,  the  city  fire  hydrants  should 


300  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

surely  be  at  the  service  of  all  during  those  dreadful 
periods  of  heat  which  visit  all  our  cities  every  year. 
A  large  percentage  of  the  drivers  of  our  wagons, 
cabs,  etc.,  are  utterly  ignorant  of  the  needs  of  their 
charges,  and  very  careless  as  well.  If  they  will 
not  be  merciful,  they  should  be  made,  and  it  is  in 
these  cases  that  the  S.  P.  C.  A.  agents  fail  most 
signally  —  for  the  reason  that  they  are  rarely  them- 
selves horsemen. 

Many  horses  may  be  noticed  working  every  day 
and  all  day,  which  are  most  improperly  and  un- 
comfortably harnessed,  —  breeching  too  tight,  traces 
too  short,  collar  too  big  or  too  small,  saddle  too 
narrow,  or  not  properly  padded,  or  shifting  about  on 
the  back,  bridle  too  short,  blinkers  too  close,  brow- 
band  too  narrow,  girths  too  loose,  giving  too  much 
swing  to  the  shafts,  pole-straps  too  tight  or  too 
loose,  etc.  The  S.  P.  0.  A.  cannot  do  a  better 
and  more  necessary  thing  than  to  employ  a  few  ex- 
perts to  patrol  the  cities,  rectifying  such  mistakes, 
and  explaining  to  the  stupid  drivers  the  proper 
methods  and  the  reasons  for  them.  It  is  not  enough 


Preventable  Hardships  301 

to  "  call  a  man  down,"  and  possibly  arrest  him  for 
a  cruelty  of  which  he  was  guilty  through  ignorance. 
Show  him  kindly  what  is  right,  and  get  his  reasons 
(for  he  may  have  some)  for  his  apparent  careless- 
ness. Such  reforms  are  much  more  imperative  than 
hysterics  over  the  use  of  "  burr  bits." 

The  use  of  salt  mixed  with  the  sand  which  the 
street  railroad  companies  strew  upon  their  tracks  in 
winter  is  productive  of  suffering  to  horses,  in  that 
it  produces  cracked  heels  and  a  slush  and  mud  of 
a  very  cold  quality,  while  the  brine  produced  tends  to 
render  the  hoofs  very  brittle.  There  is  a  pious  pre- 
varication to  the  effect  that  salt  is  no  longer  used 
for  such  purposes,  but  any  one  who  uses  his  eyes 
knows  better. 

This  same  beautiful  toleration  applies  to  the  matter 
of  the  sand  with  which  the  asphalt  paving  concerns 
are  supposed  to  sprinkle  their  pavement  during  a 
certain  term  of  years  after  its  completion.  This 
clause  is  evident  in  all  the  contracts  —  but  nowhere 
else,  alas !  and  it  is  a  lasting  reproach  to  our  civilisa- 
tion and  enlightenment  that  this  is  the  case.  The 


302  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

scenes  to  be  witnessed  upon  streets  paved  with  this 
material  are,  after  a  sharp  frost  or  icy  spell,  enough 
to  make  one  ashamed  of  his  kind.  Nothing  is 
actively  done  to  better  matters,  and  the  outrage  is 
unchecked.  This  pavement  is  in  itself  a  good  thing, 
and  has  come  to  stay,  yet  neither  the  authorities,  the 
horsemen,  nor  the  S.  P.  C.  A.  make  any  concerted 
efforts  to  render  it  safely  navigable  in  all  weathers 
and  under  all  conditions.  The  rubber  pads  which  are 
now  so  generally  used  afford  a  fairly  secure  footing, 
but  they  are,  in  price,  quite  beyond  the  reach  of  the 
poor  man,  and  no  satisfactory  substitutes  for  them 
have  been  discovered.  Toe  and  heel  calks  will  not 
remain  sharp  for  any  length  of  time  upon  the  asphalt 
and  cobblestone  surfaces.  Sand  boxes  should  be 
placed  upon  every  city  block,  kept  filled  by  the 
authorities,  and  the  material  scattered  daily  by  the 
street-sweepers;  nor  will  sand  of  too  fine  a  sort 
answer,  as  traffic  soon  reduces  it  to  dust.  A  very 
little  of  this  material,  evenly  and  lightly  distributed, 
will  render  the  pavement  safe  for  the  length  of  the 
block  and  for  a  period  of  twenty-four  hours. 


Two  JUMPERS. 

I.  Jumping   at   the    Bay    Shore    Horse    Show.  —  2.    HEATHERBLOOM 
jumping  7  feet,  2  inches  at  the  Atlantic  City  Horse  Show. 


CHAPTER   V. 
The  Horse  at  Pasture 

WE  are  accustomed  to  speak  of  the  turning 
out  of  our  horses  to  pasture  as  if  we 
had  thereby  conferred  upon  them  the  greatest 
boon  imaginable,  and  consigned  them  to  a  sort  of 
"  promised  land,"  where  all  deserving  animals  may 
meet  their  just  reward  for  constant  and  patient  ser- 
vice by  wandering  at  will  through  flowery  meadows 
and  beside  loitering  brooks,  feasting  upon  the  lus- 
cious grasses  and  resting  at  ease  beneath  the  grateful 
shade  of  sheltering  trees ;  finding  there  a  haven  for 
rest,  and  for  recuperation  of  the  most  revivifying 
character,  and  returning  thence,  as  autumn's  chill 
begins  to  render  the  nights  too  cold  and  the  grasses 
less  succulent,  to  a  thoughtful  master's  stable,  brim- 
ming over  with  thankfulness  to  him  for  his  merciful 
kindness,  and  well  furnished  as  to  ribs  and  carcass 


304  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

generally  with  abundant  flesh,  certain  quickly  to 
harden  through  judicious  exercise  into  the  massive 
muscles  so  admirable  to  the  eye,  and  so  useful  in 
the  subsequent  tasks  imposed. 

This  is  probably  the  sort  of  halcyon  view  of  the 
matter  taken  by  the  heedless  owner  who  consigns  his 
animals  to  the  tender  thoughtfulness  of  the  average 
farmer  or  horse-boarding  establishment  for  a 
season's  run  at  grass;  and  probably  he  mentally 
pats  himself  on  the  back  as  he  reclines  at  ease  in 
hammock  or  on  easy-chair,  and  pictures  "  Daisy  " 
and  "  Dandy  "  and  all  the  rest  of  them  fairly  wal- 
lowing in  the  fatness  of  the  land.  This  is  his  mental 
photograph,  but  he  rarely  or  never  takes  the  pains 
to  "  verify  his  suspicions  "  and  see  that  his  depend- 
ents are  daily  receiving  the  care  and  attention  which 
he  should  ensure  them. 

The  truth  of  the  matter  is  that  few  pastures  are 
thoroughly  satisfactory;  and  none  are  during  the 
superheated  and  insect-swarming  periods  of  June, 
July,  and  August,  at  least,  unless  the  occupants 
are  kept  up  during  the  day  and  turned  out  only  at 


The  Horse  at  Pasture  305 

night  and  in  the  early  morning  and  late  evening. 
Horses  cannot  eat  well  and  gain  flesh  as  they  should 
if  obliged  to  fight  swarms  of  flies  and  mosquitoes 
all  the  time,  while  any  scratches  or  abrasions  to  the 
skin  are  immediately  fastened  upon  by  the  insects 
for  feeding  and  for  egg-laying  locations,  to  the 
ensuing  risk  of  festering  sores,  painful  wounds,  and 
permanent  scars.  Horses  cursed  with  the  thin  skin 
and  nervous  irritability  of  the  well-bred  animal  will 
grow  frantic  from  these  annoyances,  and  will  race 
and  gallop  about  so  much  in  their  desperation  that 
the  "  soft "  flesh,  such  as  grass  builds  up,  not  only 
itself  melts  away,  but,  as  all  the  tissues  are  interlaid 
and  overlaid  with  it,  they  also  waste  away  until 
finally  the  poor  beast  is  nothing  but  a  hidebound 
skeleton,  and  reduced  to  a  condition  of  physical  dis- 
ability from  which  it  will  take  him  months  to 
recuperate. 

As  the  season  advances  and  drought  prevails,  the 
grasses  grow  hard,  wiry,  and  innutritious,  and,  as 
the  horse  is  a  dainty  feeder,  he  will  not  touch  any 
portion  which  has  been  defiled  by  the  breath  of  other 


306  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

animals,  or  by  their  lying  upon  it;  nor  does  he 
fancy  many  of  the  apparently  attractive  forms  of 
herbage  which  will  be  noticed  growing  in  profusion, 
possibly,  while  all  else  is  gnawed  clean,  and  yet  the 
animals  are  manifestly  shrinking  in  flesh.  We  might, 
if  we  would,  gain  valuable  information  as  to  the 
values  of  certain  grasses  by  investigation  along  the 
lines  of  equine  and  bovine  preferences  as  evidenced 
by  the  state  of  their  pastures. 

The  horse  has  a  small  stomach,  and  must  fill  it 
frequently  with  a  reasonable  amount  of  easily 
digested  food  if  he  is  to  do  well.  The  scanty  feed- 
ing-ground which  keeps  him  perpetually  on  the 
move  to  find  sustenance,  and  obliges  him  to  wander 
over  extensive  areas  for  that  purpose,  can  but  prove 
prejudicial  to  his  condition.  He  makes  a  "  close 
bite,"  and  prefers  the  short,  young,  and  therefore 
sweet  and  juicy  herbage  to  the  heaviest  and  longest 
luxuriance  which  fertility  can  afford. 

Another  drawback  to  the  average  pasture  is  the 
scarcity,  at  certain  periods,  of  water,  and  its  conse- 
quent distastefulness.  A  horse  is  a  dainty  drinker, 


The  Horse  at  Pasture  307 

and  while  he  may  be  seen  to  prefer  the  muddy  pool 
or  even  puddle  to  the  clearest  spring,  he  does  so  for 
two  perfectly  intelligent  reasons,  —  the  puddle,  or 
pond,  is  "  soft "  water,  the  spring  or  well  is 
"  hard  " ;  the  muddy  quality  of  the  puddle  provides 
an  earthy  taste  most  grateful  to  his  palate  —  and 
particularly  so  if  he  is  not  allowed,  as  a  stable 
inmate,  a  chance  to  lick  over  and  gnaw  at  a  good 
big  sod,  dirt,  roots,  and  all,  every  now  and  then. 
Pasture  water,  when  low,  usually  grows  stagnant 
and  filthy,  and  will  be  used  only  when  the  pangs 
of  thirst  compel.  As  already  stated  in  these  pages, 
no  horse  will  do  well  which  does  not  drink  deeply 
and  often,  and  none  can  either  make  or  hold  flesh 
unless  he  absorbs  great  quantities  of  fluid. 

Therefore  the  resting  horse  would  do  much  better, 
and  be  far  more  happy  were  he  not  "  pastured  "  at 
all.  A  darkened,  airy  box  stall  is  his  proper  abiding- 
place  in  the  daytime,  and  it  is  but  little  trouble  to 
provide  it  with  fly-screens  over  windows  and  door, 
and  to  freely  use  one  of  the  various  "  shoo-fly  " 
compositions  prepared  for  the  purpose  of  driving 


308  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

away  insects.  These  preparations  are  of  rather  a 
sticky  character,  but  will  not  adhere  to  the  hair  of 
the  coat  for  any  length  of  time,  and  are  very  effi- 
cacious in  keeping  away  these  nuisances. 

During  the  day,  therefore,  the  animals  may  rest 
quietly,  and  be  fed  at  regular  intervals,  either  with 
green  food  cut  and  carried  to  them,  or  with  rations 
of  hay  and  grain,  or  a  combination  of  all.  After 
sunset  they  may  be  turned  out  for  the  night, 
for  grazing  and  what  slight  exercise  they  care  to 
take  —  which  will  be  very  little ;  water  being  plenti- 
fully provided  in  the  stalls  regardless  of  what  is  to 
be  found  in  the  fields. 

Grain  to  some  extent  should  be  an  invariable 
portion  of  the  ration,  especially  if  the  animal  is 
upward  of  seven  or  eight  years.  Constant  years  of 
service  have,  if  this  is  the  case,  rendered  these  horses 
very  dependent  upon  such  nutriment,  and  their 
reversion  to  a  grass  diet  has  upon  them  much  the 
same  effect  as  if  one  were  to  condemn  a  high  liver 
of  fifty  to  rations  of  bread  and  water  for  a  season. 
The  few  coppers  extra  per  week  necessary  to  provide 


The  Horse  at  Pasture  309 

five  or  six  quarts  of  grain  daily  ought  not  to  be 
considered  by  any  thoughtful  owner;  but  it  is  a 
regrettable  fact  that,  even  by  the  very  wealthy,  this 
picayune  economy  is  practised,  and  a  rate  is  ac- 
cepted of  one  to  two  dollars  per  week  for  pasture 
only,  when  all  the  comforts  of  shelter,  deep  beds, 
and  grain  food  could  be  secured  for  a  dollar  or  so 
more  —  and  this  in  the  case  of  horses  costing 
originally  many  hundreds,  perhaps  thousands  of 
dollars. 

Feet  need  regular  attention  when  these  vacations 
are  in  progress,  and  the  average  foot  will  be  the 
better  preserved  if  "  tips  "  are  worn  —  certainly  if 
horses  are  to  run  out  in  the  daytime  when  the 
incessant  stamping  to  drive  away  flies,  etc.,  greatly 
wears  the  horn,  and  that  probably  in  an  uneven 
manner. 

To  accustom  a  horse  by  years  of  careful  care  and 
housing  to  the  refinements  of  civilisation ;  to  remove 
all  means  of  defence  against  insect  tormentors,  by 
docking  his  tail,  pulling  his  mane  and  foretop  (pos- 
sibly cutting  the  latter  away  entirely)  and  by  trim- 


31 0  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

ming  short  his  fetlocks,  etc. ;  and  then  suddenly  to 
turn  this  mutilated  and  effeminate  creature  out  from 
his  accustomed  haven  to  shift  for  himself,  and  to 
submit  to  the  vicissitudes  of  the  weather  as  best  he 
may,  is  surely  the  refinement  of  cruelty,  and  the 
fact  that  it  is  the  result  of  thoughtfulness  or  of 
mistaken  ideas  of  kindness  render  it  no  more  excus- 
able than  if  the  outcome  of  a  deliberate  intention  to 
torture;  while  the  difference  in  cost  between  the 
bare  necessities  of  existence,  as  furnished  by  the 
overstocked,  ill-watered,  and  poorly  shaded  pasture- 
field,  and  the  provision  of  comfortable  box  stall, 
ample  food  and  drink,  and  protection  during  the 
daytime  is  too  immaterial  to  merit  consideration. 


a 

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CHAPTER   VI. 
The  Horse  in  Sickness 

HORSES  are  very  poor  patients  as  a  rule, 
and  frequently  possess  but  feeble  resistive 
powers.  Even  the  game  and  robust  thoroughbred, 
the  most  courageous  and  enduring  of  all,  succumbs 
to  ailments  apparently  inconsequential,  —  the  fact 
seeming  to  be  that  not  only  have  they  a  "  faint " 
heart,  but  often  a  really  weak  heart,  sometimes  fail- 
ing totally  in  most  inexplicable  fashion.  Perhaps 
such  untimely  demises  are  due  to  the  fact  that  treat- 
ment has  been  faulty  and  nursing  poor,  and  very 
probably  their  disease  had  made  more  serious  in- 
roads upon  vitality  than  was  appreciated ;  but  the  end 
often  comes  when,  to  the  inexperienced,  all  signs  are 
favourable,  and  it  is  a  curious  fact  that  the  haggard 
countenance  and  anxious  eye  which  are  symptomatic 
of  some  trifling  ailments,  are  in  not  a  few  extremely 

3" 


312  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

critical  diseases  —  as  for  instance,  pneumonia  — 
quite  frequently  not  observed.  These  symptoms  are 
the  accompaniment  usually  only  of  such  disorders 
as  impose  acute  and  incessant  discomfort  or  pain. 

If  it  is  difficult  to  diagnose  the  ailments  of  the 
human  patient,  who  can  freely  describe  symptoms 
and  aid  in  explaining  conditions,  how  much  more 
arduous  is  it  successfully  to  locate  and  combat  the 
troubles  of  the  equine  subject,  which  can  neither 
describe  feelings  nor  relate  possible  causes.  All 
treatment  must  be  speculative,  and,  although  certain 
evidences  betray  the  presence  of  special  troubles,  one 
can  only  experiment  more  or  less  vaguely  until  suc- 
cess or  failure  is  assured.  Nature  is  the  best  veter- 
inary, and  if  the  strength  is  kept  up,  her  indicated 
prescriptions  of  rest  ("quantum  suf."),  and  light 
feeding  ("as  directed"),  air  and  warmth  ("ad 
lib.")  will  usually  result  favourably.  Slowly  made 
physical  repairs  are  the  more  enduring.  We  kill 
more  horses  by  mistaken  kindness  than  we  do  by 
abuse,  and  perhaps  if  we  were  content  to  adopt  the 
treatment  accorded  to  mules  in  the  South  not  so 


The  Horse  in  Sickness  313 

many  years  ago,  we  should  save  more  sick  animals 
than  we  do. 

The  established  treatment  for  a  sick  or  lame  mule 
used  to  be  to  bleed  him  from  the  roof  of  the  mouth 
and  turn  him  out  in  the  pasture  lot,  there  to  stay 
until  he  either  recovered  or  passed  on  to  wherever 
mules  go.  This  Spartan  treatment  at  least  gave 
nature  a  chance !  but  we  so  seldom  do  that !  Your 
horse  refuses  his  feed  and  seems  dull ;  forthwith  you 
or  the  groom  strive  in  every  way  to  tempt  back  his 
vanished  appetite,  and  to  coax  him  to  overload  his 
failing  stomach,  and  further  to  upset  his  probably 
fevered  system.  You  remit  all  exercise,  you  close 
all  windows,  you  bother  him  to  distraction  with 
your  fussy  attentions,  and  from  being  merely  dull 
he  grows  really  sick,  and  probably  dies  offhand. 
Did  it  ever  occur  to  you  that  in  not  taking  the 
time  to  inform  yourself  as  to  his  needs,  symptoms, 
etc.,  you  were  culpably  negligent?  and  that  if  you 
will  not  learn  to  care  for  him  you  ought  not  to 
own  him  ?  He  showed  you  by  his  actions  what  was 
necessary  in  his  case,  but  you  blindly  refused  his 


314  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

advice,  persisted  in  your  erratic  course,  and  poor 
Billy  was  converted  into  fertiliser  and  knife-handles 
long  before  his  time. 

A  sick  horse  is  generally  rather  nasty,  at  least 
so  far  as  head  and  lung  troubles  go,  and  rigid  clean- 
liness must  be  enforced.  The  nose,  eyes,  the  manger, 
etc.,  must  be  daily  cleaned  and  disinfected,  as  to 
the  surrounding  woodwork,  the  head  being,  if  the 
throat  is  sore  or  if  there  is  heavy  accumulation  of 
mucus,  steamed  —  vinegar  and  hot  water  being  as 
good  as  anything.  The  head  and  neck  must  be  pro- 
tected by  a  hood,  after  being  carefully  dried.  Good 
nursing  consists  as  much  in  knowing  what  to  let 
alone  as  in  what  to  do.  Do  not  "  get  on  "  your 
patient's  nerves  by  fussing  about  him.  A  clean, 
tempting  bed,  a  darkened  stall,  suitable  clothing, 
bandaging  if  necessary,  plenty  of  air,  his  nourish- 
ment in  small  quantity  and  tempting  in  form  —  and 
then  leave  him  in  peace. 

The  amateur  and  a  thermometer  make  a  "  pan- 
icky "  combination,  and  this  useful  instrument  causes 
to  such  a  one  more  anxiety  than  relief,  for  the  reason 


The  Horse  in  Sickness  315 

that  the  animal's  temperature  constantly  varies,  and 
an  odd  degree  or  so  of  change  from  normal  has 
very  probably  no  alarming  significance.  The  tem- 
perature, about  ninety-eight  degrees  in  health,  may 
be  approximated  by  placing  the  fingers  under  the 
tongue,  upon  the  bars  of  the  lower  jaw. 

The  pulse,  running  at  about  forty  degrees  in 
health,  and  then  pliant  and  full,  not  hard  and  wiry, 
may  be  found  below  the  jaw. 

The  kidneys  and  bowels  should  be  watched  and 
kept  active;  the  strength  must  be  maintained,  if 
food  is  refused,  by  drenches  of  "  hay  tea,"  eggs, 
and  milk;  in  desperate  cases,  whiskey,  or  whiskey 
and  eggs,  etc.  The  veterinary  is  everywhere  resident 
nowadays,  and  the  telephone  is  so  universal  that  no 
time  need  elapse  before  help  is  at  hand.  The  nurs- 
ing, however,  is  the  caretaker's  and  the  owner's  task, 
and  upon  them  falls  the  burden  of  intelligently  carry- 
ing out  the  directions  given. 

Sooner  or  later  we  all  of  us  are  probably  fated  to 
purchase  a  "  green  "  or  unacclimated  horse,  and  the 
fatalities  attending  this  condition  are  astonishingly 
frequent. 


316  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

This  acclimation  trouble  is  rarely  other  than  a 
more  or  less  severe  attack  of  influenza,  brought  on 
by  the  transfer  from  the  airy  country  barns  or 
pastures  to  hot  and  ill-ventilated  dealers'  —  or  pri- 
vate—  stables  in  town  or  city. 

In  the  former  case  the  animal  is  not  improbably 
dosed  with  drugs  to  resist  the  approach  of  the  dis- 
ease; and,  when  removed  to  the  normal  environ- 
ments of  the  private  stable,  his  ensuing  condition 
is  the  more  liable  to  render  him  not  only  ill,  but 
seriously  so.  As  the  Esquimaux  succumb  under  the 
restrictions  of  civilisation;  as  you  yourself,  after 
weeks  spent  in  camping  out,  and  in  enduring  ex- 
posure of  all  sorts,  immediately  become  ill  with  a 
cold  on  taking  up  your  usual  habits  of  indoor  life; 
so  is  your  horse  upset  by  changed  air,  food,  water, 
and  surroundings,  while  probably  the  mental  de- 
pression and  despondency  caused  by  his  homesick- 
ness for  familiar  scenes,  play  their  important  part 
in  reaching  this  result. 

Sooner  or  later,  then,  you  will  find  your  "  green  " 
horse  running  a  little  at  the  nose,  possibly  at  the 


The  Horse  in  Sickness  317 

eyes,  refusing  his  feed,  and  probably  coughing  and 
sneezing  a  little.  If  you  will  forthwith  stop  his 
grain;  feed  him  only  a  little  hay  (or  a  mash  if  his 
throat  is  sore,  as  probable),  never  more  than  he 
will  eat  clean  in  thirty  minutes  or  so,  and  all  rem- 
nants cleared  away  at  once;  all  the  water  he  will 
drink,  with  a  dose  (at  once)  of  powdered  nitre  or 
one  ounce  of  saltpetre  in  it  to  keep  his  kidneys 
active  ;  clothe  him  warmly  and  ensure  fresh  air,  but 
no  draught;  bandaging  his  extremities  well,  then 
leaving  him  alone  till  he  gets  better,  it  will  generally 
be  but  a  few  days  before  he  is  all  right  again;  nor, 
beyond  a  simple  febrifuge  and  a  liniment  for  the 
sore  throat,  could  the  most  skilled  veterinarian  do 
anything  further. 

Three  or  four  times  a  day  the  following  may  be 
smeared  upon  the  tongue: 


Extract  belladonna  „  •.        £  ounce 

Powdered  opium    .  .  .2  drams 

Powdered  camphor  .  .         3  drams 

Powdered  licorice  .  .  .        2  ounces 
Molasses  |  pint 


31 8  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

The  throat  may  be  smeared,  not  rubbed,  or  it 
will  cause  a  blister,  with  — 

Lard I  pound 

Turpentine  I  pint 

Melt  lard  and  mix  turps. 

When  the  "  pink-eye,"  as  it  is  called  from  the 
tendency  of  the  eyes  to  close  and  be  weak  (needing 
a  darkish  stable  when  this  occurs),  has  passed  its 
worst,  there  is  often  a  dropsical  tendency  of  the  legs 
ensuing  or  remaining,  which  may  hugely  swell  them, 
giving  them  the  appearance  of  having  been  tied  with 
strings ;  this  will  help  toward  cure : 

Iodide  of  potassium  .  .  i  ounce 
Carbonate  of  ammonia  .  .  I  ounce 
Powdered  gentian  .  .  i  ounce 

Eight  balls  (or  drench  if  throat  is  still  sore) ;  two 
each  day  for  four  days. 

Soft  food  is  indicated,  but  very  little  of  anything 
will  be  eaten. 

If  weakness  accompanies,  the  strength  may  be 
maintained  and  heart  stimulated  by  doses  of  whiskey 


The  Horse  in  Sickness  319 

and  quinine  at  frequent  intervals,  or  this  treatment 
may  begin  at  the  first  indication  of  the  disease. 

Soft  and  easily  digested  food  should  be  the  rule 
for  some  weeks  after  recovery;  for  a  latent  weak- 
ness, a  sort  of  low  fever,  remains,  and  any  over- 
exertion  may  cause  a  relapse.  Exercise  must  gradu- 
ally increase. 

Of  course  few  or  none  of  these  occurrences  may 
result.  The  horse  may  escape  with  a  trifling  dulness 
for  a  few  days  that  will  hardly  be  noticeable,  and 
not  even  affect  his  ability  for  light  labour.  If  this 
fresh,  or  "  green,"  horse  had  been  put  directly  to 
gentle  steady  work  whereby  he  got  regularly  into 
the  open  air,  if  he  had  been  neither  overheated  nor 
allowed  to  chill  when  warm,  if  kidneys  and  bowels 
were  kept  active  that  feverish  tendencies  might  be 
corrected,  if  in  short  he  were  used  like  any  other 
horse,  only  not  quite  so  hard,  he  would  have  had 
little  trouble,  as  proved  by  the  thousands  of  express, 
car,  and  cab  horses,  which  are  always  put  at  once  to 
work,  and,  keeping  on,  are  rarely  sick. 

Remember  that  your  country  horse  will  probably 


320  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

suffer  from  homesickness,  and  try  to  alleviate  this 
by  ensuring  him  equine  companionship,  by  little 
attentions  and  delicacies,  by  regular  exercise,  etc. 
As  you  would  in  similar  circumstances  brood  over 
your  condition  if  left  in  solitary  confinement,  so  will 
he;  as  your  depression  would  be  increased  by  over- 
feeding and  lack  of  exercise,  so  is  his ;  as  wholesome 
fatigue  ensures  the  kindly  oblivion  of  sleep  to  you, 
so  it  will  to  him. 

Colic  is  a  more  common  trouble  than  it  should  be, 
and  of  ten  cases  eight  are  the  fault  of  the  groom  or 
owner.  Spasmodic  colic  is  the  only  form  which 
appears  suddenly,  the  other  form —  tympanitis  — 
being  sometimes  chronic,  and  usually  accompanying 
some  other  disease.  For  spasmodic  colic,  then,  first 
relieve  pain  by  an  opiate,  and  then  clear  the  intes- 
tines by  mild  physic.  An  excellent  mixture  is  — 


Chloroform  .        .        .  i  ounce 

Laudanum  i  ounce 

Sulphuric  ether  i  ounce 

Linseed  oil    .        .        .        .  8  ounces 
Drench  —  One  dose. 


The  Horse  in  Sickness  321 

Bicarbonate  of  soda  is  always  at  hand.  A  quarter 
pound  of  this  in  a  quart  of  water  will  arrest  fermen- 
tation. Two  ounces  of  sweet  spirits  of  nitre  in  a 
pint  of  water  is  excellent.  Whiskey,  a  pint ;  lauda- 
num, one  ounce ;  soda,  one-quarter  pound ;  water,  one 
pint,  is  always  to  be  had. 

Inflammation  of  the  bowels  may  be  a  sequel  to 
colic,  or  may  be  mistaken  for  it.  It  is,  however, 
gradual  in  approach ;  the  legs  and  ears  are  very  cold ; 
the  pulse  very  rapid,  and  hard  to  find;  the  pain 
constant,  and  not  intermittent;  the  belly  tender; 
motion  increases  pain. 

Two  drams  of  opium  should  be  given  at  once,  and 
repeated  every  hour  until  pain  is  deadened.  Injec- 
tions and  "  back-raking  "  are  valuable  in  both  dis- 
eases. Tincture  aconite  twenty  drops,  laudanum 
one-half  ounce,  given  in  a  pint  of  lime  water  every 
hour  (to  four  doses),  is  excellent.  Foment  the 
bowels  well  with  hot  water  externally. 

Chronic  cough  may  follow  a  neglected  cold.  A 
capital  mixture  is  — 


322  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

Fowler's  solution  of  arsenic  .  I  ounce 
Chlorate  of  potash  .  .  I  ounce 
Extract  belladonna  .  .  I  dram 

Water I  pint 

Makes  one  dose  —  Give  daily. 

Rub  throat  with  mixture  recommended  in  this 
chapter. 

Hsematuria  or  azoturia,  or  "  Black  Water,"  a 
disease  of  the  system,  attacks  suddenly,  as  during  a 
drive,  and  is  signalled  by  loss  of  power  in  hind 
quarters,  violent  muscular  spasms,  rapid  pulse  and 
respiration.  Obtain,  at  once,  by  injection,  free  action 
of  bowels,  and  give  as  a  drench  — 

Aloes 6  drams 

Cream  of  tartar     ...  2  ounces 

Water i  pint 

Makes  one  dose. 

Soap  and  warm  water  clysters  are  used.  Get  the 
patient  to  a  stable  somehow  —  drags  or  ambulances 
are  always  at  hand. 

For  acute  founder  place  large  hot  poultices  at  once 
on  the  fore  feet,  and  keep  them  hot  until  the  doctor 
comes. 


The  Horse  in  Sickness  323 

For  acute  dysentery  give  — 

Castor  oil      ....  4  ounces 

Laudanum     ....  2  ounces 

Linseed  oil    .        .        .        .  i  pint 
Makes  one  dose. 

Inject  copiously  warm  water  to  cleanse  the  lower 
bowel. 

For  sunstroke  throw  buckets  of  cold  water  over 
whole  body,  using  force,  or  play  a  hose  from  a  dis- 
tance, especially  on  head  and  neck;  shampoo  well; 
repeat  water  treatment.  Give  at  once  sulphuric  ether, 
two  ounces,  water  one  pint ;  or  aromatic  spirits  am- 
monia one  ounce,  whiskey  two  ounces,  water  half- 
pint  every  hour  until  relieved. 

No  attempt  is  made  to  give  extended  treatment  or 
prescriptions,  and  only  a  few  of  the  troubles  likely  to 
occur  without  warning  are  mentioned.  Veterinaries 
are  everywhere,  and  excellent  medical  text-books  are 
easily  procurable.  Obtain  one  or  more  of  the  best, 
and  familiarise  yourself  with  symptoms  and  treat- 
ment of  such  troubles  as  occur  with  frequency,  that 
you  may  lose  no  time  and  help  the  doctor  just  so 
much  the  more. 


324  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

To  give  a  ball  to  a  horse,  back  him  into  a  stall, 
lay  hold  of  the  tongue  with  the  fingers  of  the  left 
hand,  and  draw  it  out  of  the  mouth  on  the  right  side 
with  a  downward  sideways  movement;  holding  the 
ball  between  the  middle  finger  (on  top)  and  the 
first  and  third  fingers  below,  place  it  on  the  root  of 
the  horse's  tongue,  and  quickly  withdrawing  the 
hand,  let  the  tongue  go.  Hold  the  head  well  up  by 
placing  the  hand  under  the  jaw,  and  if  the  mass  is 
not  swallowed  in  a  moment  or  two,  a  slight  slap  on 
the  jaw1  or  a  motion  to  do  so  will  accomplish  the 
object.  Be  careful  not  to  let  the  tongue  go  until 
the  right  hand  is  clear,  and  always  protect  it  with 
an  old  glove,  or  one  of  the  rubber  gloves  made  for 
the  purpose. 

To  give  a  drench,  back  the  horse  into  the  stall, 
as  before,  and  placing  a  loop  made  of  strong  cord 
over  the  upper  jaw,  have  an  assistant  slip  the  tines 
of  a  stable  fork  into  it,  and  elevate  the  head.  The 
operator  then  standing  on  the  animal's  right  side 
pours  the  drench  down  the  throat.  A  cow-horn, 
a  rubber  bottle,  or  a  long-necked  strong  glass  bottle, 


The  Horse  in  Sickness  325 

like  a  hock  or  champagne  bottle,  are  the  best  recep- 
tacles for  the  fluid. 

Some  useful  receipts  are  appended. 

COLIC     MEDICINE 

Sweet    spirits    nitre    ...  I  ounce 

Laudanum   .....  i  ounce 

Linseed  oil 8  ounces 

Mix  —  Makes  one  dose. 


ALTERATIVE    BALL 

Powdered   nitre   ....  4  drams 

Tartarised  antimony  ...  I  dram 

Linseed    meal       ....  i  dram 

Mix  —  Makes  one  dose  —  One  each  day  for  week. 

TONIC    BALL 

Powdered   sulphate  of  iron       .  4  drams 

Camphor I  dram 

Gentian i  dram 

Mix  —  Makes  one  dose  —  One  a  day  for  ten  days. 

COUGH    BALL 

Powdered  digitalis      ...  ^2  dram 

camphor     .       .       .  i  dram 

Tartarised  antimony  ...  I  dram 

Nitre 3  clrams 

Linseed   meal  y2  dram 
Mix  —  Makes  one  dose  —  One  a  day. 


326  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

LAXATIVE    BALL 

Powdered  aloes  ....  4  drams 

nitre  ....  2  drams 

ginger         ...  i  dram 
Mix  —  Makes  one  dose. 

FEVER    BALL 

Powdered   nitre   ....  4  drams 

Tartarised  antimony  ...  i  dram 

Camphor 2  drams 

Mix  —  Makes  one  dose  —  One  a  day. 

CATHARTIC    BALL 

Powdered  aloes  ....  6  drams 

ginger          ...  2  drams 
Mix  —  Makes  one  dose  —  Give  fasting. 

FOR    SPRAINS 

Alcohol 2  ounces 

Acetic  acid 2  ounces 

Oil  of  Origanum          .  .  2  drams 

Armenian  Bole    ....  4  drams 

Water 6  ounces 

Mix  —  Apply  once  daily. 


WORM    BALL 

Powdered  gentian        ...  2  drams 

quassia        .       .       .  2  drams 

camphor     ...  2  drams 

Sulphate  of  iron  .        .        .        .-•-.  2  drams 

Mix  —  Makes  one  dose  —  One  each  day,  fasting, 
for  three  days. 


The  Horse  in  Sickness  327 

COOLING    LOTION 

Sal  ammoniac      ....         I  ounce 

Vinegar i  ounce 

Spirits  of  wine    ....         2  ounces 

Water ^  pint 

Mix  —  Use  twice  daily. 


MIXTURE    FOR    WORMS 

Oil    of   turpentine       ...          2  ounces 
"      "     linseed  10  ounces 

Mix  —  Makes  one  dose  —  Give  fasting. 

ALTERATIVE    POWDERS 

Nitre  4  ounces 

Sulphur 4  ounces 

Black  antimony    ....          4  ounces 

Powdered   resin   ....          4  ounces 

Mix  —  Dessert-spoonful  daily  in  feed. 

SOAP     LINIMENT 

Camphor 4  drams 

Soft   soap     .       .       .       .       .         4  ounces 

Alcohol \l/2  pints 

Mix  well  —  Use  once  daily. 

MANGE    OINTMENT 

Iodide  of  mercury  ointment     ..         i  dram 
Lard      .       .       .       ...         2  ounces 

Mix  —  Apply  carefully. 


328  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

WHITE    LOTION.      (SORE    BACKS,  ETC.) 

Sugar  of  lead     ....         2  ounces 
Sulphate  of  zinc        ...         2  ounces 

Water I  pint 

Mix  —  Apply  several  times  daily. 


TAIL     RUBBING 

Boil    quassia    chips    in    water    to    strong 
solution,  and  apply  two  or  three  times  daily. 


CARRON    OIL.     (PHYSIC,  OR    FOR    BURNS,    ETC.) 

Linseed  oil I  pint 

Lime  water          ....         I  pint 
Makes  one  dose. 


DIABETES 

Iodide  of  potassium  ...  i  dram 

Iodine i  scruple 

Carbonate  of  soda      ...  4  drams 

Water 8  ounces 

Mix  —  Makes   one  dose  —  Once  daily. 


HOOF    DRESSING 

Tar y±  pound 

Beeswax y$  pound 

Lard il/2  pounds 

Glycerine 3  ounces 

Melt  and  mix  carefully. 


The  Horse  in  Sickness 


329 


GOULARD     LOTION 

Sugar   of   lead   .       .       . 

Vinegar        .       . 

Soft  water  .... 


Mix  —  Use  twice  daily. 


DIARRHOEA     MIXTURE 

Powdered   opium 

Chalk 

Catechu 

Ginger 


y2  ounce! 
2  ounces 
2  pints 


1  dram 

2  drams 
2  drams 
i  dram 


Mix  — Makes   one  dose  — Once  daily. 


INDIGESTION     POWDERS 


Arsenic 

Sulphur 

Cantharides  . 

Coriander  seed     . 

Aniseed 

Sulphate  of  quinine 


40  grains 
6  ounces 

y*  dram 
4  ounces 
4  ounces 
6  drams 


Mix  —  Makes  eighteen  powders  —  Daily  in   feed. 


LINIMENT    FOR    CUTS,  ETC. 

Sweet  oil I  pint 

Acetate  of  lead  ....         i  ounce 

Carbolic   acid       .       .       .       .  1A  dram 

Tincture  of  opium     .       .       .         i  ounce 

Mix  —  Use   as  needed. 


330  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

LOTION 

Tincture  of  arnica     ...  2  ounces 

"     aconite  .        .  2  ounces 

opium  ...  2  ounces 

Fluid  extract  belladonna  .       .  2  ounces 

Water I  quart 

Mix  —  Use  as  needed. 


INDIGESTION    POWDERS 

Arsenic 5  grains 

Sulphate   of   iron         ...  2  drams 

Nux  vomica  10  grains 

Bicarbonate  of  soda    ...  i  dram 

Nitrate  of  potash        ...  i  dram 
Mix  —  As  one  powder,  morning  and  evening,  for  ten  days. 


TONIC    BALL 

Sulphate  of  quinine    ...        20  grains 
"     iron        ...         i  dram 
Powdered  gentian       ...         2  drams 
Mix  —  Makes  one  dose  —  One  daily  for  two  weeks. 


COLIC     DRENCH 


Nitre    (spirits) 
Assafcetida  . 
Laudanum 
Whiskey 
Warm  water 


Mix  —  Makes  one  dose. 


6  ounces 
2  ounces 
i  ounce 
i  pint 
i  pint 


part 
Stable 


part 
Stable 


CHAPTER    I. 

Stabling  Arrangements  Appropriate  to 
American  Climate 

THE  essential  features  of  any  stable,  and  the 
only  details  worth  general  consideration  are 
freedom  from  damp  ;  airiness  and  even  temperature  ; 
roominess  in  the  equine  living  and  sleeping  de- 
partment ;  convenience  and  simplicity  of  fitting,  or- 
namentation and  arrangement.  The  rich  man  may, 
of  course,  expend  huge  sums  upon  external  decora- 
'tions  or  internal  niceties,  but  with  these  we  have 
nothing  to  do  —  only  the  vitally  necessary  items 
and  those  which  should  be  a  part  of  every  building 

333 


334  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

for  the  accommodation  of  horses  are  really  impor- 
tant. 

Any  exposure  is  good  except  a  southern,  although 
this  is  contrary  to  general  opinion  and  arrangement. 
Of  course  the  stable  may  face  south  if  preferred,  but 
the  horses  should  never  be  stabled  upon  that  side. 
The  heat  of  the  sun  in  our  climate,  whether  in  winter 
or  summer,  ensures  a  temperature  varying  greatly 
in  degree;  and  in  winter  this  is  especially  true,  be- 
cause the  heat  generated  during  the  day  may  raise 
the  temperature  to  a  very  high  degree,  and  the  ensu- 
ing depression,  during  the  night,  is  likely  to  be  keenly 
felt  at  a  period  when  the  constitution  is  least  able  to 
resist,  and  consequent  chills  and  colds  may  be  at- 
tended with  most  serious  results.  Thawing  and 
freezing,  which  take  place  upon  the  south  side  of 
a  building,  can  but  engender  damp.  In  summer, 
of  course,  the  case  is  even  worse,  as  the  heat  then 
is  doubly  irksome  upon  that  side,  and  even  if  protec- 
tion is  afforded  from  the  direct  rays  by  a  shed  or 
veranda,  this  objection  is  only  modified.  It  matters 
little  how  low  the  temperature  of  a  stable  is  main- 


Stabling  Arrangements  335 

tained,  if  only  it  be  not  subject  to  violent  variations, 
and  if  the  apartment  itself  be  dry  and  free  from 
damp,  as  properly  arranged  walls  will  ensure. 

More  stables  are  damp  —  dangerously  so  —  than 
we  at  all  realise,  and  many  a  horse  which  has  seemed 
all  "  out  of  sorts  "  with  staring  coat,  dull  eye,  and 
lifeless  at  work,  has  responded  magically  to  better- 
ment of  accommodations,  although  full  feeding  and 
ample  care  had  produced  no  beneficial  effect.  If 
nothing  else  will  ensure  freedom  from  damp,  a  stove 
should  be  used.  This,  with  ample  extra  ventilation 
upon  all  days,  when  the  external  air  is  dry,  will,  with 
adequate  drainage  and  attention  to  it,  ensure  the 
proper  condition  in  the  atmosphere  of  any  stable. 

There  is  little  to  be  said  as  to  the  best  means  of 
ventilation  and  drainage.  Modern  methods  are 
nearly  perfect,  but  the  best  have  no  advantage  over 
the  very  worst,  if  carelessly  or  improperly  managed. 
Avoid  direct  draft;  allow  no  regular  ventilation  di- 
rectly over  the  head ;  ensure  thorough  airing  at  least 
twice  daily  in  the  winter;  do  not  keep  too  many 
horses  in  any  one  compartment ;  place  windows  be- 


336  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

hind  them,  or  at  the  sides  of  the  building;  or  (if  in 
front)  very  high  up  and  small ;  an  air  shaft  over  the 
gangway  of  diameter  commensurate  with  the  number 
of  horses  stabled  will  carry  off  the  foul  air  at  night, 
and  if  the  stable  is  not  overcrowded,  and  if  the  ceil- 
ing is  reasonably  high,  the  air  will  not  become  impure 
to  a  serious  extent.  Sudden  changes  come  at  night, 
and  grooms  are  not  to  be  trusted  to  arise  and  close 
windows,  etc.  The  keeping  of  a  large  number  of 
horses  in  one  stable,  undivided  by  partitions,  is  sure 
to  cause  violent  variations  of  temperature;  as,  for 
instance,  when  many  go  out  at  once  and  when  their 
egress  has  admitted  cold  air  on  several  different  oc- 
casions, the  ensuing  fall  in  the  thermometer  is  aston- 
ishing and  not  inapt  to  cause  a  chill  and  consequent 
illness  for  those  remaining. 

Whatever  the  drainage  system,  it  should  admit 
of  copious  flushing  with  water  and  disinfectants, 
and  should  receive  it  as  a  part  of  the  daily  stable 
tasks.  The  various  traps,  etc.,  are  all  good — -if 
attended  to  frequently. 

Every  one  has  his  special  fancies  regarding  such 


Stabling  Arrangements  337 

accommodations,  and  the  writer  may  perhaps  be  ex- 
cused for  describing  briefly  the  arrangements  he  has 
used  many  times,  always  with  utmost  satisfaction 
and  consequent  good  results;  and  although  these 
were  country  stables,  where  space  was  of  no  special 
value,  the  extra  room  occupied  in  some  ways  was 
economised  in  others.  For  floors,  of  course,  in  the 
city  one  must  generally  depend  upon  plank  for  pref- 
erence or  some  of  the  brick  and  stone  arrangements 
which  are  very  expensive,  damp,  slippery,  and  treach- 
erous. 

Such  a  "  horse  boarding-house"  contained  no  part- 
titions  whatever  —  everything  hung  up,  hooked  to- 
gether, or  rested  upon  the  ground,  allowing  a  free 
internal  space,  capable  of  subdivision  in  many  ways, 
easy  to  clean  thoroughly,  inexpensive  to  construct 
and  to  maintain,  dry,  airy,  and,  through  the  sociabil- 
ity it  allowed,  most  enjoyable  to  its  equine  inhab- 
itants. The  floor  was  always  earth  (overlaid  with 
an  inch  or  two  of  sand,  if  procurable)  and  under  this 
ten  inches  of  earth  was  a  substratum  of  coarse  gravel 
or  broken  stone  about  six  inches  deep;  below  this 


338  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

again  six  inches  of  larger  stones,  or  about  two  feet 
in  all  of  various  materials,  which  afforded  a  prompt 
and  perfect  filter  and  a  drain  that  never  choked  and 
kept  dry  every  inch  of  surface.  The  beds  were 
made  all  in  one,  so  to  speak,  for  there  were  no  stall 
partitions,  and  the  whole  place  was  turned  out, 
"  mucked,"  and  set  fair  in  no  time,  while  every  nook 
and  corner  could  be  kept  sweet  and  clean.  The 
boxes  and  single  stall  partitions,  when  they  were 
used,  hooked  together  and  framed  with  light  scant- 
ling at  top  and  bottom.  Any  piece  fitted  anywhere, 
there  was  no  skill  required  to  set  them  up,  and  they 
could  be  erected  in  ten  minutes  at  any  point  desired. 
All  the  box  partitions,  doors,  etc.,  were  slatted 
from  top  to  bottom,  and  a  horse  could  thus  not 
only  see  upon  all  sides  of  him,  but  (a  vitally  impor- 
tant point  in  a  hot  climate)  received  the  full  benefit 
of  all  the  air  that  stirred,  a  point  that  is  worth  pounds 
in  flesh  and  dollars  in  food  to  any  one  who  will  adopt 
the  plan,  as,  if  he  will  go  to  his  own  stable  some  hot 
night,  lie  down  in  the  stall  of  one  of  his  pet  horses, 
and  remain  there  until  morning,  he  will  surely  do. 


Stabling  Arrangements  339 

We  wonder  that  stabled  horses  do  not  lie  down  more ; 
it  is  a  wonder  the  poor  brutes  do  so  at  all  in  their 
stifling  pens  and  upon  their  reeking  bedding.  This 
plan  ensures  the  benefit  of  all  the  ventilation  that  can 
be  arranged,  and  also  its  equal  benefit  to  all.  But 
these  partitions  must  be  slatted  right  down  to  the 
ground  or  floor. 

For  the  same  reason  —  and  for  many  others  as 
good  —  there  are  no  regular  stall  partitions,  but 
"  bails"  are  swung  from  wall  at  head,  and  from  ceil- 
ing at  heel.  These  are  simply  two  planks  tongued 
and  grooved  together;  braced  (painted,  brass- 
mounted,  or  ornamented,  if  you  like)  ;  and  hung  by 
brass  chains  or  pipe-clayed  cords  if  preferred  from 
the  ceiling  at  heel ;  attached  to  the  wall  with  a  hook 
and  eye,  or  with  a  cross-piece  (as  on  the  end  of  a 
dog-chain)  which  slips  through  the  eye.  The  bottom 
of  the  lower  plank  hangs  about  eighteen  inches  from 
the  floor,  and  the  top  is  about  four  feet  six  inches 
from  the  same  point.  These  "  bails  "  are  hung  about 
five  feet  apart  (although  horses  do  well  in  three  feet 
six  inches,  if  needful,  so  elastic  is  this  accommoda- 


34-O  C)ur  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

tion,  from  its  freedom  to  swing  and  push  aside). 
No  horse  can  get  cast  in  them,  and  they  also  freely 
see  each  other,  doing  better  in  consequence,  and  get 
all  the  air  that  stirs.  A  bad  kicker  will  give  up  when 
he  finds  that  the  partition  not  only  swings  away  from 
his  blows  and  will  not  splinter,  but  also  that  it  "cross- 
counters  "  him  on  the  recoil.  The  writer  has  had 
thirty  horses  or  more  standing  in  very  narrow 
"  bails  "  all  one  winter,  —  all  of  them  wearing  calked 
shoes,  —  and  not  one  was  kicked,  scratched,  or 
stepped  upon,  nor  did  they  fret  and  paw  at  feeding 
time,  because  each  could  clearly  see  what  was  going 
on. 

There  were  no  mangers  nor  hay-racks  —  an 
additional  measure  of  economy,  cleanliness,  and 
healthfulness,  and  a  great  preventive  of  cribbing, 
etc.,  if  any  horse  has  such  habits.  The  hay  was  fed 
upon  the  ground ;  the  grain  was  given  in  boxes,  about 
eighteen  inches  square  and  twelve  inches  deep;  and 
these  boxes  were  filled  in  the  feed-room,  brought  in 
on  a  long  barrow,  and  the  food  set  before  the  animals 
with  no  preliminary  rattling  of  grain,  slamming  of 


Stabling  Arrangements  341 

feed-bin  lids,  etc.,  which  is  so  irritating  to  horses. 
A  certain  time  was  allowed  for  feeding,  and  then  all 
boxes  were  removed,  cleaned,  and  set  in  the  sun  to 
air  and  sweeten.  By  this  means  a  "  shy  feeder  " 
could  have  his  extra  pints  or  quarts  put  before  him. 
and  not  a  horse  but  his  two  immediate  neighbours  be 
any  the  wiser. 

The  horses  were  each  confined  by  a  rope  eighteen 
inches  long,  which  was  spliced  into  a  ring  which 
ran  upon  a  "  traveller  "  —  like  that  for  a  jib  or  main 
sheet  on  a  vessel,  only  running  up  and  down  the  wall 
and  not  across  its  surface ;  the  other  end  of  the  rope 
was  provided  with  a  hook,  which  snapped  into  the 
headstall  ring,  the  regular  halter-shank,  which  also 
snapped  on  when  wanted,  hanging  in  readiness  for 
use  at  the  heel  of  the  "  bail."  The  lower  end  of 
this  "  traveller  "  came  about  a  foot  above  the  ground, 
and  the  top  about  four  feet  six  inches,  so  that,  while 
a  horse  had  ample  room  to  eat,  lie  down,  etc.,  he 
could  neither  bite  his  neighbour,  nor  could  he  get  cast 
by  getting  his  feet  over  the  slack.  This  rope  can  be 
made  longer  or  shorter,  according  to  necessities,  or 


342  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

the  possible  width  of  the  divisions  (which  should  not 
be  too  wide,  or  the  animals  may  stand  across  them). 

The  feed  and  hay  room  should  be  upon  the  ground 
floor  if  space  allows.  Great  economy  in  framing  the 
building  is  thus  possible,  and  the  food  materials  are 
much  more  easily  handled,  while  every  foot  of  room 
to  the  rafters  is  thus  available  for  circulation  of  air 
and  ensuing  comfort  to  the  helpless  tenants.  The 
men  are  better  off  if  sleeping  upon  the  ground  floor, 
and  they  will  not  disturb  the  animals  by  trampling 
over  their  heads,  either  at  feeding  times  or  during 
the  night.  Carriage  room  is  simply  a  matter  of 
space  and  may  be  arranged  to  suit  personal  fancy, 
and  such  a  stable  is  so  inexpensive  to  build  and  to 
maintain  that  practically  all  the  sum  allotted  to  the 
purpose  may  be  expended  in  external  ornamentation, 
for  the  internal  system  advised  will  not  cost  $5  per 
horse  to  arrange. 

America  is  unique  in  its  combinations  of  climate, 
its  extreme  heat  and  cold  in  one  and  the  same  locality, 
and  its  sudden  changes  from  one  to  the  other.  We 
have  adopted  the  stabling  systems  of  other  countries, 


Stabling  Arrangements  343 

and  have  never  stopped  to  investigate  their  short- 
comings, or  to  consider  possible  and  appropriate  im- 
provements. A  trial  of  this  system  will  convince 
any  one  of  its  economical  and  practical  features. 


CHAPTER    II. 
Stable   Conveniences 

CONVENIENCE  is  an  essential  to  the  satis- 
factory management  and  prompt  perform- 
ance of  all  stable  work  —  and  by  this  is  meant  not 
only  consecutiveness  of  all  arrangements,  but  the 
presence  in  exactly  the  right  places  of  all  the  little 
necessities  to  the  work  which  has,  in  the  performance 
of  it  every  day,  year  in  and  year  out,  so  much  to  do 
with  its  accurate  and  speedy  accomplishment.  If 
this  is  true  of  the  average  stable,  it  is  absolutely 
imperative  that  in  the  establishment  of  the  "  little 
man,"  presided  over  possibly  by  himself  and  one 
or  more  of  his  boys,  everything  should  be  at  hand 
so  that  not  a  moment  need  be  lost. 

Beginning  with  the  door  or  doors  through  which 
egress  is  gained,  they  should  be  amply  wide,  and 
roll  or  swing  upon  their  hinges  easily  and  freely; 

344 


Photographs  by  T.  E.  Marr,  Boston. 

THE  EXTREME  OF  LUXURY  AND  COMFORT. 
Two  views  of  Mr.  Thomas  W.  Lawson's  celebrated  show  barn. 


Stable  Conveniences  345 

should  be  so  arranged  that  they  may  be  closed  with- 
out the  necessity  of  locking  them  to  make  them 
remain  so;  should  betray  no  projecting  hasps,  or 
locks,  or  sharp  door  or  jamb-edges  to  cut  or 
scrape  the  exposed  side  or  hip,  or  to  bruise  the 
passing  animal;  approached  not  by  abrupt,  or 
twisting  run-ways,  but  by  those  gradually  elevated; 
padded  as  to  such  edges  as  are  unavoidably  sharp, 
and  high  enough  to  ensure  free  passage,  and  to 
prevent  injury  should  a  horse  chance  to  throw  up  his 
head.  Many  an  animal  has  been  badly  and  perma- 
nently injured,  and  others  have  received  a  fright 
from  which  they  have  never  recovered  through  the 
accidents  which  have  occurred  to  them  because  of  the 
improper  construction,  or  careless  management  of 
the  entrances,  not  only  to  their  stables,  but  to  their 
boxes  and  stalls. 

Safely  inside  the  building,  the  floors  demand 
attention,  and  they  should  be  carefully  laid,  easily 
swept,  of  a  material  that  will  not,  under  any  condi- 
tions, prove  slippery,  and  one  that  is  easy  and  inex- 
pensive to  repair.  Wood  is  the  best  for  wash-stand 


346  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

and  all,  but  it  should  be  soft,  and  not  of  a  material 
easy  to  split  or  splinter.  A  very  little  slope  in  the 
whole  floor  toward  the  wash-stand  will  be  an  advan- 
tage in  washing  down,  as  the  water  will  then  run 
off  of  itself,  and  unaided  reach  the  drain. 

The  wash-stand  should  not,  as  is  too  often  the 
case,  be  placed  in  a  corner  to  which  every  vehicle 
must  be  backed,  turned,  and  twisted,  and  in  the 
small  stable  its  appropriate  location  is  directly  in 
front  of  the  main  door,  so  that  it  is  a  part  of  the 
floor  itself,  and  upon  it  the  vehicle  upon  entrance 
may  be  at  once  washed.  Its  arrangements  should 
always  include  a  hose  if  the  water-power  is  suffi- 
cient, and  this  hose  should  hang  from  above,  upon 
one  of  the  very  practical  patented  "  circles  "  which 
are  now  common,  and  which  admit  not  only  of 
washing  a  carriage  quickly  and  completely,  but  pre- 
vent all  wear  and  tear  on  the  hose  itself,  swinging 
back,  on  its  arm,  against  the  wall  when  not  in  use. 
This  arrangement,  or  some  modification  of  it,  is  so 
convenient  that  it  may  be  included  among  the  essen- 
tials. The  pails  should  be  close  at  hand,  and  several 


Stable   Conveniences  347 

in  number;  inexpensive  iron-slatted  receptacles  or 
boxes  for  sponges,  soap,  chamois,  etc.,  hang  upon 
the  walls;  wrenches,  grease,  etc.,  are  on  a  shelf. 

All  stable  tools,  etc.,  should  be  kept  upon  open 
shelves,  and  not  shut  away  in  cupboards  and  closets 
where  dirt  and  dust  is  sure  to  accumulate.  Nothing 
should  be  locked  up,  except  the  closet  or  chest  for 
storing  robes,  blankets,  etc.,  but  every  nook  and 
corner  should  be  open  for  inspection,  and  regularly 
and  carefully  cleansed. 

The  smaller  doors,  leading  externally,  should  be 
provided  with  extra  slatted  doors  for  summer,  and 
these  covered  with  a  stout  and  fine  wire  mesh  that 
flies  may  be  kept  out  —  the  same  attention  being 
paid  to  the  windows.  It  is  not  an  expensive  ar- 
rangement, and  will  greatly  add  to  the  comfort  of 
the  occupants. 

Proceeding  on  across  the  carriage  floor,  we  gen- 
erally find  that  the  horse  apartments  and  the  harness- 
room  are  separated  by  permanent  partitions  from  it 
and  from  each  other.  There  has  never  seemed,  in 
the  small  stable,  any  good  reason  for  this,  but  on 


348  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

the  contrary  it  interferes  with  ventilation,  and  need- 
lessly occupies  valuable  room.  Partitions,  framed 
as  in  Japanese  houses  and  covered  with  canvas, 
stained  or  varnished  if  preferred,  afford  all  adequate 
separation,  and,  sliding  freely  in  their  grooves  past 
each  other,  may  be  entirely  removed,  or  all  pushed 
back  against  the  wall,  or  all  closed  tight  according 
to  requirements.  Naturally  nothing  can  be  hung 
upon  them,  but  in  the  small  building  the  walls 
accommodate  all  the  hooks,  etc.,  that  it  is  necessary 
to  employ. 

The  harness-hooks  may  properly  be  fastened  upon 
a  frame  which,  by  means  of  an  easily  running  pulley, 
etc.,  can  be  elevated  out  of  the  way,  either  high  up 
the  wall  to  the  ceiling,  or  through  the  floor  up  into 
a  tightly  boarded  apartment  in  the  loft,  just  large 
enough  to  admit,  through  an  automatic  trap-door  in 
the  floor,  which  opens  and  closes  as  the  frame  is 
hauled  up  or  down,  not  only  this  frame,  but  all  the 
harness,  etc.,  used  in  the  small  establishment  —  per- 
haps two  or  three  sets,  riding-saddle,  etc.  Nothing  is 
more  convenient,  and,  your  equipment  once  cleaned, 


Stable   Conveniences  349 

it  disappears  by  a  pull  or  two  on  the  rope  to  a  dust- 
proof  cupboard  overhead  and  out  of  sight  —  thence 
to  emerge  clean  and  fresh  when  wanted.  This 
"  vanishing  harness-room  "  is  not  only  vastly  eco- 
nomical of  space,  but  is  eminently  satisfactory  in 
every  way,  as  the  writer  has  proved  by  personal 
trial.  The  cleaning  tools,  etc.,  all  have  their  shelves, 
etc.,  on  this  frame,  and  the  "  whole  business  "  is 
out  of  sight,  avoiding  the  necessity  of  looking  after 
and  sweeping  a  harness-room,  and  keeping  in  repair 
its  door,  partitions,  floor,  window,  etc. 

The  harness-room  thus  disposed  of,  one  comes 
next  to  the  stable  proper, —  the  horse  department, — 
and  the  arrangements  described  in  the  chapter  on 
stabling  are  as  suitable  for  him  who  keeps  one,  as 
for  the  place  which  accommodates  an  hundred 
horses.  Generally  in  the  small  stables  it  is  a  part 
of  the  carriage-room  —  or  at  least  not  separated 
from  it ;  provided,  of  course,  with  a  box,  or  at  least 
with  a  very  wide  space  for  stall  room.  As  the  wash- 
stand  is  near  the  door,  the  faucet  or  pump  will  be 
adjacent  to  it,  and  thus,  on  entering  in  the  morning, 


35O  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

Grit  arrives  at  the  horse's  head  with  the  bucket  of 
water  ready  for  him  to  drink,  or  for  filling  his  own 
receptacle,  the  faucet  being  en  route.  In  the  same 
way  the  feed-bins  or  barrels  should  be  directly  on 
the  way  to  the  animal,  and  the  hay-chute,  if  hay 
is  kept  overhead,  should  be  both  very  wide  and  as 
long  as  possible,  that  one  may  throw  into  it  at  one 
trip  enough  hay  to  last  for  two  or  three  days ;  the 
contents  not  interfering  with  ventilation  in  the  least 
—  and  this  characteristic  is  the  hay-chute's  principal 
advantage.  This  should  deliver  close  to  the  heel- 
post,  so  that  the  hay  may  be  at  once  carried  into 
the  stall. 

The  manure-chute  must  be  close  at  hand,  and  if 
a  cellar  is  underneath,  a  trap-door  in  the  wall  should 
allow  of  all  refuse  being  promptly  swept  down. 
This  door  should  be  hinged  at  the  top,  and  close 
tight,  that  no  draft  may  draw  through  and  over  the 
aiiimal's  back  and  loins  when  lying  down.  Other- 
wise a  barrow  will  remove  all  refuse  to  the  manure- 
pile. 

It  is  a.  very  handy  and  necessary  tiling  in  any 


Stable  Conveniences  351 

stable,  where  gas  is  not  available,  to  arrange  an 
overhead  wire  running  through  the  stable  at  a 
height  that  may  be  easily  reached,  and  yet  be  out 
of  the  way  of  heads,  etc.,  bearing  one  or  two 
S-shaped  wire  hooks,  upon  which  a  lantern  may  be 
hung,  and  freely  pushed  along  as  required.  This 
takes  care  at  once  of  the  gravest  danger  that 
threatens  all  small  stables,  and  puts  the  light  and  its 
inflammable  oil  safely  out  of  harm's  way. 

As  a  general  rule,  these  small  stables  should  pro- 
vide for  hay  and  straw  below  stairs  —  rendering 
their  construction  much  less  expensive  if  as  lightly 
framed  as  they  then  may  be,  and  saving  many  steps 
to  the  owner  who  does  his  own  work,  who  is  possi- 
bly not  young  and  active,  and  who  can  nowadays, 
in  every  town  and  city,  secure  such  materials  baled 
as  he  needs  them,  the  few  cents  extra  per  ton  which 
his  small  retail  buying  compels  being  not  worth  con- 
sideration in  comparison  with  the  ease  of  access 
to  it,  and  the  saving  in  the  cost  of  the  building. 


CHAPTER    III. 
Care  of  Vehicles  and  Horses 

CONSTANT  attention  to  the  little  details  have 
all  to  do  with  economy  and  success  in  caring 
for  carriages,  etc.  Two  men  will  buy  at  the 
same  builders  two  carriages  of  the  same  make  and 
shape;  they  use  them  identically  to  all  external 
appearances;  yet  one  is  worn  out  in  a  year,  the 
other  lasts  almost  indefinitely;  one  appears  shabby 
a  month  after  purchase,  the  other  always  looks  fresh 
and  well-preserved,  as  indeed  it  is.  In  the  former 
case  the  actual  depreciation  is  far  greater  than 
appears,  in  the  latter  it  is  almost  insignificant. 

The  careful  owner  sees  to  it,  when  his  new 
carriage  comes  home,  that  it  is,  before  being  used 
at  all,  washed  thoroughly  three  or  four  times  to 
harden  the  varnish;  carefully  dried,  that  the  var- 
nish may  not  spot,  and  never  allowed  to  stand  in 

353 


Care  of  Vehicles  and   Horses      353 

the  sun  when  wet,  lest  the  same  result  obtain;  he 
always  has  it  washed,  after  using,  as  soon  as  possi- 
ble —  at  all  events,  before  the  mud  dries,  it  is  well 
sluiced  down,  that  the  dirt  may  not  harden,  and, 
after  the  horse  is  attended  to,  it  is  at  once  carefully 
cleaned  —  not  by  smearing  over  with  a  dirty  sponge 
full  of  grit  and  grease,  and  then  a  rinse-off  with  a 
few  pails  of  water  flung  at  (and  frequently  into)  it, 
but  well-sprinkled  by  playing  the  hose  or  watering- 
pot  gently  over  it  to  float  away  all  the  particles 
possible  to  thus  remove,  and  by  then  cleansing  the 
the  body  with  a  large  soft  sponge,  and  the  under 
carriage  and  wheels  with  another  — the  two  never 
being  interchangeable;  a  chamois  carefully  drying 
all  parts  thereafter;  and  the  wheel-hubs  and  circle 
being  cleansed  wjith  plenty  of  soap  and  water,  or  a 
little  turpentine,  to  remove  any  grease.  The  car- 
riage floor  has  previously  been  swept  out  and 
washed;  the  linings,  seats,  and  carpet  dusted  and 
swept  clean;  and  pains  taken  that  the  window- 
wells,  etc.,  are  not  filled  with  water,  lest  panels  swell 
and  crack.  Now,  and  only  now1,  is  the  vehicle,  after 


354  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

polishing  any  window  glass  and  brass  work  with 
whiting,  and  metal  polish  and  a  black  chamois, 
actually  and  thoroughly  clean. 

The  leather  dash  will  need  an  occasional  dress- 
ing, as  will  all  leather  tops,  side  curtains,  aprons, 
etc.,  with  an  application  of  neats-foot-oil.  Curtains 
should  be  frequently  unfolded,  cleaned,  and  aired, 
if  kept  under  the  seats,  and,  if  rolled  up  on  the 
sides,  should  be  lowered.  The  top  (as  of  buggies, 
etc.)  should  always  be  kept  up  in  the  coach-house, 
lest  the  bows  warp  and  the  leather  crack.  Sun 
and  air  are  always  available,  and  should  be  freely 
resorted  to,  not  only  in  the  care  of  vehicles  in 
active  service,  but  with  those  laid  by,  and  summer 
or  winter,  at  least  once  weekly,  all  carriages,  har- 
nesses, blankets,  robes,  etc.,  should  be  placed  where 
the  air  and  sun  can  have  full  sweep  at  them;  thus 
counteracting  any  tendency  to  mouldiness,  musty  or 
stable  odours,  or  the  inroads  of  moths,  which  find 
sunlight  fully  as  distasteful  as  the  usual  sparsely 
scattered  camphor  balls. 

Two-wheeled  vehicles  should  be  supported  as  to 


Care  of  Vehicles  and  Horses     355 

! 

their  shafts  by  neat  little  stands,  that  the  shafts  may 
not  warp;  or  these  may  be  tipped  up  against  the 
ceiling  if  the  structure  of  the  building  allows. 

Harnesses  should  be  invariably  taken  apart  once 
a  week  at  least,  and  thoroughly  cleaned,  oiled,  and 
blackened  or  dressed  over  with  the  "  Compo  "  easily 
obtainable  at  all  harness-stores.  Six  times  a  week 
it  will  be  sufficient  if  the  strap  ends  are  all  pulled 
out  of  their  billets,  and  the  whole  cleaned  as  well 
as  may  be  —  and  this  is  about  all  that  is  usually 
done  —  but  once  weekly,  anyhow,  everything  must 
be  thoroughly  inspected,  stitching  and  all.  All  metal 
mountings  should  receive  prompt  attention,  and  he 
who  has  but  an  unpretentious  establishment  will  find 
silver  furniture  much  easier  to  care  for  than  the 
easily  tarnished  brass  —  while  it  will  also  be  to 
his  advantage  to  have  as  little  metal  finish,  and  as 
much  leather  covering  to  buckles,  etc.,  as  possible, 
on  the  score  of  labour-saving  if  of  no  other.  It 
will  be  found  very  handy  to  have  in  the  harness- 
room  a  pail  of  air-slacked  lime  into  which,  after 
just  wiping  them  dry,  all  bits,  stirrups,  etc.,  may 


356  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

be  thrown  and  buried,  to  be  taken  out  and  polished 
at  leisure.  A  full  list  of  harness-room  essentials 
will  be  found  in  another  chapter  —  the  long  array 
of  materials  usually  insisted  upon  being  —  half  of 
them  —  totally  unnecessary. 

A  wrench  should  at  regular  intervals  be  placed  on 
every  nut  and  bolt  in  a  vehicle,  and  all  spots  on  robes 
or  lining  promptly  removed.  A  little  japan  blacking 
should  always  be  at  hand,  and  with  it  steps, 
bolt  heads,  etc.,  regularly  kept  freshly  painted.  The 
linen  covers  so  generally  in  use  appear  to  be  but 
a  lazy  man's  disguise  for  a  carriage  which  he  is 
neglecting,  and  if  it  is  properly  kept  clean,  and  well 
dusted,  no  need  for  any  such  covering  exists  — 
nor  does  it  protect,  save  in  a  superficial  way. 


THE  BEST  IN  THEIR  CLASS. 
Courtesy  of  Mr.  Eben  D.  Jordan. 


CHAPTER   IV. 
Outfit  for  One  Horse 

THE  bare  essentials  are  all  that  any  beginner 
should,  at  the  outset  of  his  horse-keeping 
experiences,  attempt  to  provide;  nor  should  he 
be  led  along  by  the  advice  of  well-meaning 
friends,  or  loquacious  dealers  in  such  commodities, 
to  invest  in  any  articles  of  which  he  is  reasonably 
certain  that,  whatever  the  future  may  have  in  store, 
he  has  no  present  need.  Countless  accessories  in  the 
way  of  "  compositions,"  polishes,  brushes  for  all  pur- 
poses, etc.,  are  mere  catchpenny  inventions,  and  in  no 
way  make  up  for  the  application  of  that  honest  and 
persistent  muscular  effort  which  their  acquisition  is 
intended  to  supersede;  while,  save  in  oiling  the 
carriage  wheels,  "  elbow*  grease  "  is  the  best  lubri- 
cant and  scintillant  known  to  stable  lore. 

Locality  also  is  an  important  factor  in  determining 
357 


358  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

the  necessities  of  outlay,  and  the  standard  of  the 
country  or  suburban  outfit  need  be  by  no  means  that 
of  the  urban,  either  in  original  proportion,  or  in 
prompt  restoration  to  pristine  freshness.  This  econ- 
omy, however,  should  not  be  carried  to  unwise  ex- 
tremes, and  carriages,  etc.,  allowed,  for  the  lack  of  a 
little  attention  and  a  trifling  outlay  for  paint  and  var- 
nish, to  lapse  into  a  condition  of  premature  decrep- 
itude. Many  articles  may  be  bought  in  quantity  to 
great  economy,  and  neighbours  should  always  com- 
bine to  get  such  things  as  forks,  pails,  brooms, 
brushes,  sponges,  combs,  etc.,  at  wholesale  rates,  and 
in  wholesale  quantities,  subdividing  them  later; 
while,  in  the  same  fashion,  feed  can  most  advan- 
tageously be  bought,  for  cash  if  necessary,  in  large 
quantities,  and  distributed  among  the  members  of 
this  local  grange,  so  to  speak,  as  individual  require- 
ments demand.  Such  methods  are  so  eminently 
practical  that  it  is  extraordinary  they  are  never  fol- 
lowed—  and  they  will  afford  a  saving  of  at  least 
twenty-five  per  cent.,  a  rather  handsome  retrench- 
ment upon  any  enterprise;  nor  will  this  wise  fore- 


Outfit  for  One  Horse  359 

sight  entail  any  personal  hardship  or  trouble  to 
any  one,  but  each  may  alternate  in  the  position  of 
caterer  and  general  purveyor. 

Of  course  your  outfit  may  be  kept  at  a  boarding- 
stable  at  an  outlay  of  about  seven  dollars  per  week ; 
no  allowance  being  made  for  the  work  your  coach- 
man, if  you  have  one,  does  in  relation  to  extra 
attentions.  If  you  have  a  small  stable,  the  cost  for 
feed,  etc.,  for  a  similar  period  will  run  to  about 
three  dollars,  taking  one  year  with  another,  and 
the  private  stable,  however  diminutive,  has  many 
advantages  which  the  public  cannot  offer. 

Such  a  stable  will  originally  need  an  equipment 
about  as  follows  for  the  necessities  —  the  luxuries 
may  be  added  from  time  to  time  as  opportunity 
arises : 

FOR   THE    HORSE 

Halter  —  leather  or  web $1.50 

Blankets— day,  $2.50;   night,  $1.50;   sheet,  $1.50; 

cooler,  $3.00;    roller,  $1.50 10.00 

Hood 1.50 

Bandages  —  two   sets       ......  2.00 

$15.00 


360  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

FOR    THE    CARRIAGE 

Iron  pails  (2)  @  $4  per  doz $0.67 

Carriage  jack 2.00 

Sponges   (2),  $2;    chamois   (2),  $i       .        .        .  3.00 

Duster,  $1.50;    whisk,  3Oc 1.80 

Steps LOO 

Hose 3.00 

Rubber  boots,  $2 ;   apron,  $i 3.00 


$14.47 

FOR    GROOMING 

Curry  comb,  5oc. ;   body  brush,  $3  .        .        .        .  $3.50 

Dandy  brush .50 

Mane  comb,  3Oc. ;   rub  cloths,  5Oc .80 

Sponge,  soc. ;    scraper,  25c .75 

Scissors,   $i;    hoof-pick,  2$c 1.25 


$6.80 

A  scraper  may  be  whittled  out  of  a  barrel-stave. 

FEEDING,     CLEANING,     ETC. 

Two-quart  measure $0.25 

Pails  @  4Oc .80 

Two  forks,  $i ;    broom,  soc. ;    shovel,  soc. ;    stall 

cleaner,  soc.;   basket,  500 3.00 

Soap so 

$4-55 


Outfit  for  One  Horse  361 

FOR    HARNESS-ROOM 

Mirror,  $i ;  two  chairs,  $i $2.00 

Sponges,  $i ;  chamois  (2),  $i ;  Compo  brushes, 

$i;  Compo,  3oc 3.30 

Harness  dye,  400. ;  neats-foot-oil,  SGC.  ...  .90 

Metal  polish,  25c. ;  brush,  soc .75 

Silver  sand ;  harness  hook,  25c. ;  brackets,  25c. 

each .50 

Harness  punch .75 

$8.20 


Hay  averages  in  price  for  prime  at  $18.50  per 
ton  in  bales,  or  $20  in  bulk,  the  former  being  prefer- 
able as  more  easily  handled  and  not  bought  in  large 
quantities,  as  in  the  latter  case,  and  from  a  trades- 
man who  can  be  made  to  replace  any  inferior 
material.  Rye  straw  averages  about  like  hay  for 
the  best,  although  the  tangled  rye,  so  called,  is  just 
as  good  to  all  intents,  and  comes  as  low  as  $9. 
Prime  oats  average  $0.35  per  bushel;  bran  $16 
per  ton ;  corn  $0.68  per  bushel.  At  these  figures  the 
horse's  keep  costs  about  $0.25  per  day. 

The  animal  will  probably  need  —  although  horses 


362  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

vary  —  a  new  set  of  shoes  each  three  weeks,  depend- 
ent largely  upon  the  amount  of  use  given  him.  Even 
if  the  shoes  are  not  worn  they  should  be  at  least 
reset,  at  similar  intervals. 


CHAPTER   V. 
Keeping  One  Horse 

THE  individual  whose  modest  establishment 
comprises,  either  from  choice  or  necessity, 
but  a  single  animal  and  its  accoutrements,  will 
perforce  restrict  his  undertakings  to  narrow  limits, 
and  his  outfit  will  be  cared  for  either  by  a  man- 
of-all-work,  who  like  most  "  Jacks-of-all-trades  "  is 
especially  expert  at  none;  or  at  a  livery  stable;  or 
be  looked  after  by  himself  or  those  adolescent 
members  of  his  family  responsible  enough  to  be 
depended  upon  to  feed  the  horse  thrice  daily,  to 
grease  the  carriage  wheels  when  necessary,  and 
to  give  to  the  vehicles  and  harness  generally  that 
care  which  they  must  receive  if  they  are  to  be 
satisfactorily  usable,  and  to  retain  their  freshness 
of  appearance  and  soundness  of  repair  for  a  reason- 
able period.  Of  these,  of  course,  the  choice  of  most 

363 


364  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

"  little  "  owners  will  fall  upon  the  livery  stable,  and 
those  of  the  cities  provide,  for  about  one  dollar  per 
day,  very  excellent  attention  to  all  details.  The 
same  can  hardly  be  said  of  the  public  establishments 
of  suburban  localities,  and  they  are  quite  frequently 
slovenly  to  a  degree,  and  given  to  supplying  a  poor 
quality  of  hay  and  grain  to  make  up  for  the  reduced 
rate  of  board  which  they  usually  accept  —  eighty- 
five  cents  per  day  being  about  the  average  rate  in 
such  stables.  The  odd  fifteen  cents  is,  however, 
usually  dearly  saved,  and  the  care  given  is  of  the 
most  haphazard  description. 

In  many  places  the  "  club  stable  "  finds  abundant 
patronage,  and  is  by  far  the  most  practical  arrange- 
ment for  suburban  use,  provided  some  one  or  more 
of  the  committee  in  charge  are  practical  horsemen, 
take  an  active  interest,  and  give  matters  their  per- 
sonal attention.  Such  service  averages  its  members 
a  cost  of  about  four  dollars  per  week  per  horse, 
and  the  attention  is  —  or  at  least  may  be  —  fully 
as  good  as  that  of  the  usual  private  stable,  main- 
tained by  the  keeper  of  the  single  horse;  while  if 


Keeping  One  Horse  365 

active  business  supervision  is  maintained  by  the 
committee  or  a  superintendent,  results  may  be  even 
more  advantageous. 

Failing  these  forms  of  stabling,  our  friend  is  apt, 
next  in  order,  to  keep  a  man  of  his  own,  who  for  a 
wage  of  about  twenty  to  twenty-five  dollars  monthly 
and  board  —  or  ten  dollars  weekly  without  — 
undertakes  to  care  for  the  horse,  etc.,  milk  the  cow, 
run  the  garden,  rake  the  drive,  black  the  boots,  tend 
the  furnace,  and  do  other  odd  jobs.  This  "  hand  " 
—  for  we  can  hardly  call  him  coachman  —  is  usually 
about  one  remove  from  a  day  labourer  both  in  ap- 
pearance and  in  ability  —  and,  as  the  man  said  who 
fell  out  of  the  balloon,  he  "  does  the  best  he  can." 
That  his  best  is  not  very  good,  the  seedy  appearance 
of  the  family  outfit  proves,  as  does  the  fact  that  Billy 

neither  holds  the  flesh  nor  bears  the  blooming  coat 

i 

which  the  size  of  the  feed-bills  should  seem  to  en- 
sure, —  the  fact  being  that  Patrick,  among  his  other 
failings,  doesn't  know  how  to  feed.  A  modification 
of  this  plan  is  in  popular  use,  whereby  the  man-of- 
all-work  attends  to  all  the  general  "  chores,"  includ- 


366  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

ing  the  rough  cleaning  in  the  morning  of  stable  and 
horse,  and  feeding  him  the  morning  meal  at  least,  all 
other  stable  work  being  done  by  the  owner,  or  one 
of  his  boys. 

The  "  boy  plan "  is,  after  all,  where  the  raw 
juvenile  material  is  to  be  had,  by  far  the  best;  not 
only  on  the  score  of  general  results,  but  because 
it  places  the  lad  in  line  to  assume  larger  responsi- 
bilities, to  develop  his  energy  and  stability  of  char- 
acter, to  bring  to  his  realisation  the  fact  that  certain 
duties  must  be  performed  at  certain  times,  and  that 
personal  pleasures  must  be  made  subservient  to  them, 
and  to  advance  practically  his  useful  education  in 
the  knowledge  of  the  care  of  animals,  etc.,  which 
will  be  vastly  useful  to  him  in  all  his  after  life,  be 
his  associations  what  they  may.  Every  boy  in  the 
family  —  and  in  every  family  —  should  take  these 
duties  in  turn;  should  be  instructed  in  and  held 
responsible  for  their  first-class  performance;  and 
should  receive  a  salary  or  wage  commensurate  with 
his  ability,  thus  enabling  him  to  become  a  money- 
earner,  and  to  learn  not  only  the  value  in  labour  of 


Keeping  One  Horse  367 

a  dollar,  but  the  time  it  requires  to  return  an  equiva- 
lent for  it.  Any  sound  lad  of  fourteen  is  perfectly 
able  to  care  for  the  horse,  two  or  three  carriages, 
etc.,  which  comprise  the  average  stable  of  the  man 
of  moderate  means,  and  he  will  be  all  the  better, 
physically,  and  more  capable,  mentally,  for  the 
chance.  The  writer,  as  a  lad,  for  several  years,  cared 
for  the  family  stable  during  all  the  time  its  horses 
were  in  use  —  about  six  months  annually  —  and 
although  he  had  generally  four  horses,  as  many 
carriages,  harnesses,  saddles,  etc.,  in  daily  use,  he 
found  it  no  task  to  keep  them  in  first-class  condition, 
and  the  stable,  etc.,  always  neat  and  clean.  It  seems 
hard  sometimes  to  miss  a  baseball  game,  or  a  fishing 
or  swimming  expedition,  but  this  is  true  only  at 
first,  and  the  discipline  is  wholesome. 

Of  course  all  reasonable  conveniences  will  be  pro- 
vided in  such  a  stable,  as  detailed  in  the  chapter  on 
stable  outfit,  and  ordinary  ingenuity  will  suggest 
many  labour-saving  devices  not  usually  found  in 
such  '  establishments.  Handiness  of  necessities 


368  Our  Noblest  Friend,  The  Horse 

renders  any  task  less  irksome,  and  that  which  was 
regarded  as  labour  becomes,  if  one  has  any  love  for 
animals,  a  pleasure  which  also  furnishes  many  a 
pleasant  recollection  in  later  days. 


THE   END 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

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